


Creation

by Light7



Category: Legacy of Kain
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-29
Updated: 2012-09-29
Packaged: 2017-11-15 07:18:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 41,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/524637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Light7/pseuds/Light7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Wars are over, Nosgoth has been saved. But a newer or perhaps older enemy rears its head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Creation  
Book One: The Balance of Life and Death 

Disclaimer: Legacy of Kain belongs to Edios and Crystal Dynamics not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Vorador then he’d be mine.   
Warning: this fic eventually contains YAOI (GuyXGuy) and a lemon, if this offends or upsets you do not read this, it that simple.   
Rating: NC-17  
Pairing: Raziel/Kain  
Setting: post all games   
Summery: The Wars are over, Nosgoth has been saved. But a newer or perhaps older enemy rears its head.  
Italics mean either flashbacks or thoughts

* \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ *

Chapter One

{Kain} 

It was over. 

It was all over. The idea felt outlandish and alien to him, but regardless of its peculiarity it was truth. It was all over. After an immortal lifetime of fighting, his victory had been achieved, and perhaps most unexpectedly he had been alive to witness it. 

The pillars rumbled ominously but quietly, their power coiling within them. The clattering of small stones alerted him to the change building around him. The stones now skittering across the marble base were being pulled towards the pillars. Upon closer inspection it became clear that they were not stones but small fragments of the pillars themselves. The fragments began moving faster as the force pulling them increased. They increased in size, being drawn from the very edge of the clearing. It struck Kain in that moment that he was witnessing the reverse of the pillars destruction and this was possibly as hazardous a place to stand as it had been when the pillars first shattered.

He made it off of the marble plateau just before the first man sized lump of marble hurtled at breakneck speed past him and up to the sky to join with its pillar. At a safer distance he watched as sections of marble longer than he was tall linked back together, as if pulled by invisible hands. Had his heart still been in his chest it would have raced, now it was only his facial expression that gave any hint as to what he felt seeing the pillars reform. It was horrendously noisy, the wind roared through the clearing loud enough to deafen a man as the pillars connected together with ominous claps. But overall it did not take long before the pillars stood whole once more but still blackened. 

Only when they had been still for a few minutes did Kain approach. The marble base hummed beneath his feet when he stepped back onto it, his eyes widened at the indication and he only had time to crouch, his arms over his head as the disappeared wind reappeared. It struck hard and fast and would have knocked him to the ground had he not been brought low already. As it was it was enough of a force to knock the blackness from the pillars as if it were nothing more than stubborn dust. Kain coughed as he got back to his feet, his lungs lined with the filth. He spat a few times, trying to clear the taste of it from his mouth. No doubt he would be coughing lumps of the stuff up for days. 

Slowly he finished his approach. Still coughing he laid a hand on the balance pillar and felt something he had never expected to feel in his lifetime. The pillar resonated against him and a feeling of conscious thought ghosted through him. He snapped his hand back from the edifice, glaring between his hand and the now white marble. His claw tips tingled and he rubbed them together, then reached out again. The feeling was quieter this time, as if the pillar knew it had shocked him and was trying not to do so again. Kain rolled his eyes at himself, he was becoming delusional. But there was no denying it, when he touched the pillar, it touched him back. 

The cry of birds sounded above him and pulling his hand back he had to wonder how such delicate creatures as birds had survived the corruption when those more durable had not. But that mattered little now. The time stream would be repaired. All the rips and tears would mend and everything lost would be recovered. He could finally relax, it was over. He was not sure where this sudden confidence came from, how he knew that the pillars, now restored, would be strong enough to repair the damage done by the creature that had squatted beneath them. But know it he did and he struggled to keep his composure. Not wanting his legs to have to give out beneath him he sat, his back to the balance pillar. His thoughts turning dark despite his victory. All his sacrifice, all his effort, had all been worth it? 

A pang of guilt and loss seared through him at the thought of Raziel. Not all the sacrifice had been worth it, some sacrifices had been too much But Raziel had disagreed, he had thought it was worth it otherwise he would not have given himself so willingly at the end. Kain closed his eyes. Raziel had given himself to the sword when he had understood the true gravity of the situation. Kain had watched as Raziel’s eyes had grown dim, as he had faded into the sword, and he’d watched as Raziel’s hatred for him had fallen away like the blackness from the pillars. He’d been so angry at that point, enraged with the world. He’d been angry enough at that moment to quite easily have said ‘sod it all,’ and have pulled the sword from his child. Let the world crumble and rot, it was not worth losing one so needed. He lifted the blade and settled it across his lap. Not all the sacrifice had been worth it. 

Movement disturbed him. Turning he spotted Vorador on the edge of the clearing. The elder vampire looked up at the perfect pillars, then down at the vampire sitting at the base of the balance pillar. A look of disappointment crossed Vorador’s features, but a lazy wave from Kain let Vorador know he wasn’t looking at a corpse. Kain watched as the elder vampire made his way across the grass towards him and even managed a smirk up at him. Vorador sat down heavily beside him. 

“Bastard,” Vorador spoke, his voice soft as if this were now a holy place. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” 

“I’d appreciate it if you could hold off on any life-threatening ailments,” Kain murmured yawning. “After all the effort I’ve just put into saving you and everything else, it would be a bit insulting for you to die again so soon.” 

“I’ll try.” Vorador was looking up at the pillars, watching the perfect edifices rise upwards and disappear into the sky.

“Thank you,” Kain yawned again. 

Vorador raised an eyebrow at him but Kain didn’t answer his silent question. It was not surprising he was tired. He had every right to be tired and he was exhausted. Exhausted in a way that was not only physical. He had felt this fatigue now for a long time. It was only his determination and stubbornness that had kept him going. But now what was there left to keep him here? It was not the first time he had thought of dying. The idea had crossed his mind many a time. Countless nights he had contemplated how he would truly feel if the only way to restore balance would be for his life to be sacrificed. In the beginning he had been angry at such an idea. He had felt that it robbed his life of it’s meaning. But then, over time, that anger had faded, and an acceptance had grown in its place. Until after thousands of years of fighting, he had begun to welcome the idea. Dying had stopped feeling like an unjust ending and had started to feel more like a well earned freedom. He’d saved the world, surely that gave his life back the meaning that had been stolen by the creature beneath the pillars. A strange smile crossed his lips. 

“Your expression concerns me,” Vorador’s voice cut through Kain’s thoughts. 

“There is little need for such concern.” Kain reached out to run fingers over the deadly blade lying across his lap. He could be free. After such a long lifetime Raziel could have his vengeance. He stopped suddenly. Something was wrong, the blade was warm, warmer than it ever had been.

He muttered a decorative profanity, making Vorador raise his eyebrows at him in surprise. Sitting up, ignoring the ache in his back, he lifted the blade. It was warm to the touch and heating up more with every passing moment. He cursed again, the blade was shaking hard enough to come free of him had his grip been weaker. The blade continued to heat up in his hands until it was burning him. He tipped the blade off his lap and watched it scorch the ground. 

“What?” Vorador asked.

“Bastard!” Kain snapped. “He burnt me,” he glared at the blade. Reaching out to touch it he snatched his fingers back when the air surrounding the blade smouldered, burning his fingertips. “What are you playing at now?” he muttered. The blade had always felt right in his hands, had always felt like it belonged there. There had always been a strange power holding the two of them together. Never before had the blade truly harmed him, even when Raziel had held it at his throat or when the Serefan Lord had fought him with it. Kain glanced at his hands, watching the last of the burn heal and fade. 

“You don’t know what’s wrong, do you?” Vorador sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his claws as if he felt a headache coming.

“No, I feel I rarely know what’s going on anymore. I’m becoming rather good at improvising,” Kain muttered, watching the blade as it grew hotter still, turning white now and seeming to melt, shaped metal slowly becoming formless.

“It is destroying itself,” Vorador breathed. Then suddenly everything went white. 

* * *

{Raziel} 

The heat was becoming too much to bare, he would have cried out if he had been able. It was the abyss all over again, white hot fire. But there was something different to the heat this time. It was burning hot, and yet it was ice cold. Truly it hurt, it hurt more than he believed was possible. But it was different to the abyss. This heat was not pulling him apart, it was forcing him back together.

“Fire is used both to create and destroy,” A voice spoke. He tried to move, to get a look at where the voice could be coming from. It was not a voice he recognised. It was deep but female, calm and resigned. He reached out a hand in the direction he assumed it was coming from and stopped dead.

It was then that the difference struck him. He had form once more. Legs and arms, fingers and toes, it was all here and it was all pristine white and whole. He stared for one unending second at his own hand. It was whole, he had two talons, and a thumb that when united were solid and deadly. His talons were long and elegant. Looking down at his torso he saw the same pristine form. He was no longer the wraith-like creature he had become. He was himself as he knew himself to be, he was solid and whole. He was vampire once more. The feeling of having a body, of being able to reach out and touch things once more and to be touched by things was almost too much. He felt himself go dizzy. But a coolness rushed through him, sobering him, taking all feelings of dizziness away.

“Welcome, Raziel,” the voice spoke again. It was female, soft and gentle. Instantly he flinched, distrusting and wary. 

“Who are you?” He demanded. “Why have you brought me here?” He opened his mouth to ask where exactly ‘here’ was and felt himself bite his own tongue. He laughed, joy overtaking suspicion. It had been so long he’d almost forgotten how to use his mouth, almost forgotten how sharp his fangs were. 

“I am Fate, Raziel,” the woman’s voice spoke. “I appear in a form you will understand. I have brought you to the void to give you a choice. The first real choice you will make.” 

“What choice?” he shouted, turning round, looking for the woman but not finding her.

“The only choice that matters and the only one I can give you. The only one I can give you and your father both.” Raziel rolled his eyes, delighted for a split second at being able to do so once again. Why couldn’t anyone just speak plainly was beyond him, was no one capable of plain speech any more? Then a new thought struck him, sudden and painful. 

“Kain’s here?” he asked 

“Yes,” Fate answered, “in a way, you cannot reach him however. The choice I give you must not be influenced by anything or anyone.” 

“Wonderful,” Raziel muttered. It was the first time in a millennium that he hadn’t been raging at his Sire and he couldn’t go to him, couldn’t speak to him. He shivered, suddenly cold. All that time he’d wasted hating him when Kain had been right all along, it made his entire body ache. Perhaps once this was over? 

“Give me the choice,” he muttered, but before any response could be made the light surrounding him grew more intense, and for a split second it burned him and made his eyes feel like water had been poured into them. “What!” he shouted.

“Your father has made his choice,” Fate spoke “now you must do the same.” The light dimmed slightly and for a moment Raziel could see beyond it. He could see the pillars, Vorador and Nosgoth. “I give you the choice that was denied you long ago,” the woman spoke “I offer you the respite of death or the chance to live out your life as it was originally intended.” 

“Live or die,” Raziel simplified, not much of a choice in his opinion. The answer was obvious. 

The light was gone. He was kneeling at the foot of the pillars, hands and knees pressed against the cold marble. His chest was tight, unable to expand to it’s full extent. He gasped for air for a few moments, then he relaxed and his breath came more easily. A weight settled itself across his shoulders. He turned to look and saw a burgundy coat had been draped over him. He looked up and saw Vorador, who was leaning over him curiously. 

“Raziel?” he asked. Raziel nodded. His throat too dry for words.

Raziel looked around, noticing the purity of the pillars, and the silence of the landscape around them. Kain had done it, Kain had won. He had always known his father would eventually triumph. He had never lost faith. Despite the anger he had felt he had always known Kain would be victorious. Kain always was. The thought brought a smile to his face for a few moments before it was replaced by confusion. 

“Vorador,” he managed his voice hoarse from years of silence. It took a few attempts to get his question out ,“where is Kain?” 

“He is over there child, but do not go to him just yet, find your breath first,” Vorador answered and his expression made Raziel’s blood run ice cold.  
* * *

So the land healed. 

It did not all happen at once as Raziel had expected, but slowly over a period of years. Things recovered gradually and a great deal of the changes were subtle. Raziel often didn’t notice them until they were pointed out to him. The return of a specific animal for instance, often went unnoticed. Or when the swamp lost the smell of death and decay and instead began to smell like renewal and life. It became a primordial soup, as potent and rich in life as any forest or plain. Some of the changes were not in the least bit subtle. The return of the ancients from death was perhaps the most obvious change to take place. Raziel often found wonder in the sight of the sky filling with black wings and blue skin. The day Janos first took flight before him had caused his heart to clench. Although when the ancient had lifted him into the sky with him he had screamed blue murder. 

The ancients were not the only sentient life to return from death. Humans and the newer breed of vampires who had renamed themselves the second generation were also included in this elixir of life. Raziel’s brothers had been among the first. 

“Melchiah,” Raziel called “I thought it was only women who were supposed to take this long preparing?” 

“You act as if it has been an age,” Melchiah’s voice snapped from behind the wardrobe door. “I swear it’s been three minutes since you walked in.” 

“Three minutes too long,” Raziel grumbled. 

“Since when were you so keen,” Melchiah appeared from his wardrobe struggling with cufflinks. “I thought you detested these funerals.” 

“I do not detest them!” Raziel growled, watching his brother struggle for a few more moments before stepping over and assisting with the rouge cufflinks. “I merely think them pointless,” he explained. “These creatures lived and died in a separate timeline, what point is there in celebrating them now?” 

“You are a fool,” Melchiah grudgingly let his brother fix the catches on his cufflinks. “Funerals have never been for the dead, they are always for the living and if the living remembers these creatures then it is no surprise they want to celebrate their passing.” He allowed Raziel to help him into his jacket, “you did not complain when we celebrated Kain.”

“Kain was different!” Raziel snapped “very different.” He forced Melchiah to turn with more force than needed and started fixing buttons closed. 

“But not so different to warrant a return,” Melchiah muttered, Raziel snarled before he could help himself and his brother fell silent. Not all those who had passed were reborn. Apparently Fate did not look too kindly on those who had thrown her gift of life back at her. Those of the population -be they human or vampire- who had died by their own hand did not return. 

“Come,” Raziel growled then coughed as if his growl had been unintended and was instead a misjudgement on his part as to how his throat was. Melchiah nodded, forgiving his brother the snap. 

Raziel lead them out into the corridor and from there out into the gardens. The walk was silent, most of the mansions population was outside already. Many of the funerals were held here, although some had been held further north. There were funerals every week, usually mourning more than one individual. The ancient race had indeed returned to Nosgoth but only a few of their number had made that return. This had unsurprisingly caused much grief among those who had returned to life, and the first few years of the purification were spent in mourning for those who were truly lost. Funerals were held and the dead sanctified in hope that one day Fate would forgive there weakness and return them to life. 

“Janos asked me for a list last night,” Melchiah’s voice snapped Raziel from his thoughts. 

“A list?” he asked, holding a door for his younger sibling. Melchiah nodded. 

“Of my clan. He said most of his race had undergone the proper rights and their souls were in Fates hands now. He wants to make a start on our clans.” Melchiah unconsciously widened the space between him and his brother, waiting for the expected outburst, but none came. 

“It is a blessing I suppose that you do not recall their fate,” Raziel muttered stepping onto the grass.

“I suppose, although it make their loss no easier to bare,” Melchiah answered. “I nearly struck Janos when he asked for the list of their names.” That comment caught Raziel’s attention. Melchiah was not a push over but he was not prone to violence especially towards one such as Janos. 

“Why?” he asked eventually. 

“Because I loved my clan,” Melchiah said softly “and do you know what he said when I asked why they were not here now but we are?” Raziel shook his head. “He told me ‘You were the children of the scion, you belong here’ so we belong here but the Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren of the scion do not?” Melchiah looked as if he would say more but stopped as they had reached the edge of the crowd that had gathered to say farewell to the last ancients who had not returned. Raziel could faintly hear Janos calling out to a God who had proven false, begging for acceptance and forgiveness. Raziel snorted and tired not to listen. He knew Janos was not preying to that thing beneath the pillars but rather imploring his ‘true’ god to make itself known now that the imposter was gone. 

“I hate this,” Raziel snarled after a few moments, “I wish he would not get so upset if I just avoided it all together.” 

“Shh,” Melchiah shushed his older brother. “He knows how you feel but he wants to show you that it was not all their fault, they worshiped a God, their God was replaced by a monstrosity but it does not devalue the idea of God.” 

“I will not sit here and hear pretty speeches about how it was all a misunderstanding.” Raziel snapped. 

“I don’t like these ceremonies either,” Melchiah breather quietly “I hate the idea that only the worthy can come back. Who judges the ‘worthy’? But I respect Janos and you should as well.” 

“Worthy,” Raziel repeated “It’s all lies.” A few of the vampires around them started grumbling at their chatter. “It’s got nothing to do with worth, he was worthy and he’s not here yet.”

“You know that is different,” Melchiah answered “Kain chose to leave.” 

“No he bloody did not!” Raziel snapped and turning stalked away. Even from a distance Raziel listened with the others to Janos’ pleadings for the remainder of the service. When it ended he avoided the crowd walking back to the mansion and remained in the garden. 

“He won’t come back,” Vorador’s voice snapped him from his thoughts much like Melchiah’s had earlier. He turned to watch the old vampire approach. 

“Melchiah’s been telling tales again I see.” Raziel grumbled, turning away from Vorador. 

“He worries for you Child. He worries that you will never stop your mourning,” Vorador pressed, Raziel shrugged and heard Vorador sigh “You need to accept it. Kain went into the light and you came out. You chose life. Are you really going to spend it waiting for him?” 

“Yes!” Raziel spoke sharply, abruptly, “he will come back! Melchiah and the others did! Janos did!” The mention of his sire made Vorador swallow and look away. It was bitterly unfair and he understood Raziel’s anger. Everyone else had regained what they had lost, but not Raziel. What he loved remained dead. 

“Raziel,” Vorador sat down next to the fledgling, watching the side of his face as the fledgling frowned. He smiled. He could understand why Kain had loved him, beautiful, strong and fiercely loyal, yes, he could understand very easily. “Your brothers came back because of the way they died. Fate has fixed the time stream. Everything is as it should be now. Those who died wrongly are given a second chance,” He stopped as Raziel turned to glare at him 

“Are you saying that he really was meant to sacrifice himself? You believe what he did was right! That it was right for the world to demand the blood of the one who saved it? You’re saying its right for these frauds to rule in his place!” Vorador sighed and closed his eyes. 

“The ancients that have returned to us are the ones who died in the war or by other means. They are not the suicides. Those who died by their own hand or chose death willingly are not permitted life again.” 

“Kain did not commit suicide!” Raziel snapped, looking appalled that Vorador had even suggested the idea.

“Fate gave you a choice, Raziel. It is extremely likely that she gave that same choice to Kain. That is why he will never come back. He chose to die! He doesn’t want to be here!” the elder vampire was cut off as claws racked across his face. Raziel was on his feet, his claws bloody. 

“He would not just abandon me here,” the fledgling hissed before stalking away across the garden. Vorador stood, feeling his face heal almost instantly.

“Stubborn,” he breathed “just like your father.”

Raziel stopped walking a little way away at the old mausoleum that had once housed Janos. He turned and surveyed the rest of the garden. It was beautiful, but he hated it. He would sell his life and soul to have the old corrupted Nosgoth back, the Nosgoth of bare stone and sunken abbeys. If it meant he could be with his father again. If he could only be back when he was a child, to be a true fledgling again in mind as well as form. He mourned the loss of those days when he hadn’t cared for anything, when he’d had nothing but his father to think of. He gritted his teeth hard. Kain would come back, he knew it.

“He’s right you know,” a voice made Raziel turn, and he glared at his father “I am not coming back.” 

“Janos says you’re not real,” Raziel breathed, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them slowly. “You’re just a figment of my over active imagination.” 

“He’s right too,” Kain nodded. “Your imagination is extremely overactive.” 

“Trust you to side with them,” Raziel huffed. Kain walked to his child but did not come within touching distance before he stopped. 

“You realise you owe Vorador an apology. Just because you do not like the truth does not mean you can start slashing people’s faces open.” 

“You would have. Besides you of all people cannot lecture me on controlling my temper,” Raziel smiled.

“If I recall rightly, I couldn’t lecture you on anything,” Kain paused. “Well I could try, but it was rare that you graced me with listening.” 

“I listened,” Raziel protested.

“Then listen to me now. You are making a mockery of everything by this damned sulking,” Kain’s voice was quiet but there was anger in his words. 

“Not sulking,” Raziel sighed, feeling a lump in his throat. Kain sighed and rolled his eyes. 

“You are still not listening,” he sounded weary. “I suppose I should not be surprised.” 

“RAZIEL!” Melchiah’s voice echoed through the garden, making Raziel jump. The younger vampire was running up behind his brother.

“Hello Melchiah,” Raziel forced a smile.

“Don’t be angry,” Melchiah breathed catching his breath “I did not mean for Vorador to speak with you.” 

“I am not angry with you,”Raziel looked down, “Come I owe Vorador an apology.” 

“I wish you would not fight with Vorador. Kain’s not here to protect you anymore.” 

“I know,” Raziel muttered turning round to look back half expecting his father to still be there “I know he’s not.” 

The following evening Raziel went down to the Graveyard. He did so at least thrice a week. He would go more often but Vorador had put barriers in his way. Raziel glanced at one of those barriers now walking silently beside him. Melchiah pretended not to notice the dirty looks he was being given and looked at their surroundings. The graveyard had become one of the most beatific places in Nosgoth since the regeneration. With so many not returning vampires and humans wanted somewhere grand to remember the dead. 

“This is the fourth visit this week,” Melchiah said softly. “You know Vorador is only keeping quiet because of yesterday,” He held the gate for his older brother. 

“Vorador acts like an old mother,” Raziel muttered as he preceded his brother into the graveyard “Someone needs to tell him we have no need of a surrogate.” 

“He feels responsible. I think he believes he has adopted us. I heard one of the mortal servers joking only last week that perhaps we should call him ‘uncle’ Vorador,” Melchiah smiled, but his expression faded when he saw his brother took no mirth from his words. “I spoke with Vorador this morning, he is concerned.” 

“I wish he would direct his concern elsewhere,” Raziel interrupted. 

“For once he was not concerned with you,” Melchiah corrected “he has been getting a lot of hassle from the guardians as of late.” 

“Hassling old vampires is all those damned wretches are good for,” Raziel snarled “Heaven knows they do little else. But tell me for amusements sake what they are getting their frills in a twist for this time.” 

“Raziel I am well aware of your dislike for the guardians as is everyone else. But there is little your dislike will achieve,” Melchiah’s voice was tired “I wish you would be less vocal about it.”

“Melchiah,” Raziel answered, his tone an imitation of his brothers. Melchiah rolled his eyes and fell silent for a few moments. Absently reading a few of the stones as they marched past them. 

“The Daemons are still here,” Melchiah stated after a few moments. Raziel nodded

“Yes, they have been for the last fifty years.” Raziel looked up at the repaired temple of Light. The doors now forever open. The portal was no longer active but the shrine was still accessible through the lake citadel. 

“If the Demons are linked to the corruption then they should have gone when the monstrosity perished. Maybe they are linked to the corruption and that’s not yet gone. Maybe it has hidden itself away waiting to become stronger,” his words were speeding up, his tone more irate. 

“Melchiah you worry too much,” Raziel’s eyes followed the path, following his old footsteps. He must have walked this path a hundred times in the last six months alone and countless time in the last fifty years. 

“What if I’m right Raziel and your lack of effort pursuing it gives it the time it needs to grow stronger,” Melchiah paused letting his words sink in before continuing. “What if all that awfulness happens again. I don’t think I could bare it.” 

“I’m well aware that the Daemon numbers are increasing but honestly I think it’s probably a simple problem with a simple answer,” Raziel tried to sound a little reassuring. 

“Janos said the Daemon world was locked by the Pillars and the Reaver was the key. What if the lock was not locked properly and with the Reaver being gone, what if we can’t close the daemon world off ever?” Melchiah swallowed his panic before it could become larger. He did want to talk to his brother about his worries but he hated discussing this kind of thing here, it felt sacrilegious. As if he was criticising his father in his resting place. 

“Janos says lots of things,” Raziel murmured then upon seeing his brothers face he relented. “Do you want to know what I really think is wrong?” 

“Yes,” Melchiah nodded. They turned a corner and came upon an ancient building for housing the dead. The building was big enough to hold a city’s worth of dead but this one only held one. 

“I think Daemons came through when the gates were open and have scattered all over the land. Obviously some of them have escaped us and maybe they’re breeding on this plane. I don’t think the gate is open Melchiah. The pillars are whole and pristine. Nothing is wrong anymore.” 

“But what if,” Melchiah opened his mouth to question further but was silenced by his brother 

“Do we have to do this here?” Raziel stopped at the mausoleum and frowned at his brother, who had the decency to look ashamed. Melchiah shook his head. “Thank you,” Raziel turned and entered leaving Melchiah alone by the door. 

Melchiah waited a few moments for his brother to wander deeper into the overlarge mausoleum before he too entered. He did not enter far before stopping. Raziel did not like company when he was here. Melchiah looked around as he had done almost every time he came here. The writing above the door was not a name like many of the other mausoleums. Instead carved in the stone was a title ‘Scion of Balance’. Melchiah shook his head slightly and breathed his father’s name. It sounded so strange to say it aloud now. Very few creatures ever uttered it. The name Kain had become sacred. Melchiah flinched suddenly, disturbed by the sound of movement that wasn’t Raziel’s. He turned in time to see Gregory one of the graveyards attendants. 

“Good morning to you, Lord Melchiah,” Gregory was an old human, sixty seven years on this world. Gregory was just old enough to remember what Nosgoth had been like before the purification and as such respected the dead more so than some of the younger attendants.

“You startled me Gregory,” Melchiah smiled. 

“Don’t you be telling lies in this place Lord,” Gregory smiled. “The dead have ears you know.” The mortal paused and looked slightly awkward “Lord Raziel inside is he?” 

“Yes my brother is inside,” Melchiah nodded, Gregory nodded and fidgeted “you should speak your mind if it troubles you so,” Melchiah encouraged. 

“He is a nice man your brother. Bit quiet but never cruel,” Gregory said quickly then slowed. “I fancy he spends a bit too much time here though.” 

“He misses him,” Melchiah shrugged. Gregory was right, Raziel spent far too much time here. But there was nothing anyone could do to stop Raziel doing something he wanted. The only person capable of changing Raziel’s mind was lying cold in a room down the hall. 

“True, that he does,” Gregory nodded slowly. “Your Brother, Lord Raziel, he has talked to me sometimes. He says he’s seen him, you know in other places,” Melchiah felt his eyes widen. Gregory looked panicked “Aint no worry Sire I not said anything to anyone and I won’t. None should know this but you and yours, this be private.” Melchiah relaxed a little bit but still tensed. 

“Thank you Gregory, your silence is noted. But why tell me this?” 

“My uncle went same way,” Gregory absently swept at some nonexistent dust from the floor with his broom. “He used to talk to my aunt forty years after she died. We had him committed in the end, I’d hate for Lord Raziel to go that way,” 

“What are you saying Gregory,” Melchiah lowered his voice and did his best to keep the growl out of it. He had spent the last fifty years listening to people talk about how his brother was going loopy and he’d spent the last fifty years defending him, he was not about to hear it from Gregory. 

“Just that maybe it would be best if best if Lord Raziel didn’t come down here no more,” Gregory mumbled “I mean no offence sir, it be alright to talk to the dead but it’s not good when they talk back.” 

“Talk back!” Melchiah couldn’t keep the shock out of his voice. Gregory looked confused as if his words were becoming muddled.

“I don’t mean literally Lord, sir, but Lord Raziel he talks, and then he waits and talks back as if he’d been answered, it’s no good my Lord.”

“No I don’t suppose it is,” Melchiah pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he had picked up from Turel. “But you try and stop Lord Raziel doing something he wants to do and if you keep your limbs come back and tell me.” Gregory laughed 

“Don’t fancy I will my Lord but if any one manages I’ll buy em a drink,” lifting his broom Gregory turned to leave. “Fare you well my Lord,” 

“Goodbye Gregory,” Melchiah watched the mortal leave before he resumed waiting for his brother absently looking out one of the windows searching through the gradually clouding sky for the sun. They were due back at the mansion in a short time. 

Shortly after yesterdays funeral a messenger had flown in from the guardians with news and commands for both Vorador and Janos. Janos had been ordered to consult with the mountains Seers and had taken to the wing shortly after the message was delivered. Anxiously Melchiah glanced at the sky tracing the suns movements. Janos would be back soon. The sound of speech interrupted his worry and replaced it with a new concern. The voice was Raziel’s but he was not speaking to Melchiah. Melchiah knew he could only defend his brother for so long before others started demanding that something be done. The guardians were already claiming that Raziel’s imprisonment in the Reaver had deranged him. Melchiah had tried to explain otherwise but knew that they would not listen, refusing to believe that Raziel’s grief was causing his erratic behaviour not his past imprisonment. In anger the youngest of Kain’s children kicked at a fragment of stone and glared at the ceiling 

“If you are bloody well up there then you might want to lend a hand,” he growled then bit his tongue when he realised what he had just done.

“I heard that,” the delighted voice of Raziel made Melchiah jump. Melchiah smiled despite himself and turned to exit the mausoleum. Together in companionable silence the brothers walked out of the graveyard and towards the swamp. 

“You think I am going crazy don’t you,” Raziel said suddenly as they entered the damp and somewhat rank swamp. Melchiah didn’t know what to say and remained silent. “Sometimes I think you might be right.” 

“You are not crazy Raziel. Grief stricken yes but crazy I don’t believe it,” Melchiah said firmly as they leapt from outcropping to outcropping. “We need to talk Vorador into inserting walkways.” 

“Don’t change the subject,” Raziel snapped “besides he’s still paranoid he would never make the swamp passable.” 

“I’m not changing the subject.” Melchiah almost slipped into the damp filth. “We could make them wooden, easy to burn should an attack come.” 

“No one is grief stricken for fifty years!” Raziel snapped, grabbing his brother’s hand and pulling him away from the danger. “You honestly think anything out here would burn?” 

“We are immortal Raziel, fifty years is nothing to us,” Melchiah smirked, trying to make light of the situation.

“I really see him at times, he talks to me,” Raziel admitted quietly.

“I know he does,” Melchiah nodded. They travelled the rest of the distance in silence. 

The mansion was warm and dry with the faint smell of new paint. Raziel used to enjoy the smell of new paint but now it was sickening. With the constant growth of the vampire race a great deal of them were currently behind housed at the mansion while citadels were built. The mansion had taken a lot of wear and tear over the last fifty years and someone always seemed to be adding a new coat of paint or new strip of wallpaper. Raziel tried not to breathe as he walked through the halls to the west wing library but the smell made his eyes water despite his efforts. Melchiah had made excuses upon entering the mansion to return to his rooms for a moment before joining him and so Raziel dawdled to the west wing alone. 

“Good afternoon Raziel,” the voice made him turn. Magnus smiled at him closing the door the east wing behind him. 

“Hello Magnus,” Raziel answered. He shuffled a little as the other vampire walked beside him. Raziel had never known what to make of Magnus. Sometimes he felt that he and Magnus shared something in common. Magnus had suffered a terrible fate defending Kain, much like he had in the end. 

Magnus had shared a part of Kain’s life that Raziel could only guess at. Kain had never been one for telling tales of his past and Raziel only knew snippets. But he knew that in the time when Kain knew Magnus something terrible had happened to him and that something had all out destroyed Kain’s sense of trust. So much so that even when Raziel had been a newborn and incapable of betrayal Kain had always watched him warily waiting to be stabbed in the back. It wounded Raziel that Magnus had known his father when he was still trusting and open to the world, in all honesty Raziel often found himself resenting Magnus for it. 

“You look excited,” Magnus droned, Raziel rolled his eyes

“Another meeting. I swear if my hallucinations don’t drive me mad first these damn meetings will” Raziel sighed making Magnus laugh and clap him on the shoulder 

“It takes a brave man to poke fun at himself,” Magnus laughed before shaking his head, suddenly losing his humour “Janos has returned from the Seer’s.” 

“Yes,” Raziel rolled his eyes earning a strange look from Magnus “I have spoken with Seer’s, Oracle’s and Fate so please forgive me if I remain unimpressed with what they have to say.” The two vampires walked in silence for a moment or so before Magnus spoke again

“I thought Nosgoth was at peace now?” he snorted “some peace with Daemons still roaming the lands,” 

“If this is peace then give me back the corruption any day,” Raziel grumbled, Magnus did not laugh this time he knew that there was a thread of truth in Raziel’s words.

“You shouldn’t say that,” Magnus mumbled not looking at him.

“If anyone has a right to it is me,” Raziel snapped. 

“True,” Magnus nodded “very true indeed.” He sighed and seemed to slip back into his normal cheerful demeanour. “Let us hope peace becomes peaceful sometime soon shall we?” 

“I’ll drink to that,” Raziel agreed as Magnus opened the library door. 

“Nice to see you could join us,” Vorador snapped at the pair as they entered. 

“We thought we had better gift you with our glowing presence,” Magnus smiled. “Personally I’m shocked that you managed to get this late into the night without coming to bask in our radiance.” 

While Magnus was ranting on about his radiance Raziel looked around the Library. His brothers sat around one of the smaller tables, cards in hands. Raziel smiled and remembered the nights he had spent with them, gambling over cards. It used to get stupid when they ran out of money, they’d bet slaves, lovers, clothes. He was quiet sure once that Rahab had betted his brother Dumah at one point. Raziel scanned the rest of the room quickly, frowning when the person he was looking for was not there.

“Where’s Janos?” he asked turning to Vorador. 

“Well it seems lateness is the new fashion,” Vorador deadpanned, concern flashed on his features “he should be here by now.” 

“He will be here,” Raziel murmured looking up at the sky through the glass doors expecting to see a flash of blue, but the rain clouds hid everything. It hadn’t rained yet but the rainy season was long overdue. 

“It was foolish to go now, so close to the season,” Vorador said irritation tinting his voice. “It seems the daemon problem is becoming higher on the list of priorities if they are willing to risk Janos so easily.” 

“Worried for me?” Janos’ voice behind them made both Raziel and Vorador jump “I’m supposed to be the one worrying about you.” Janos smiled at Vorador and Raziel turned away walking towards his bothers table where they were playing poker.

“There you are,” Turel smiled at his brother as he approached, Raziel forced a smile and sat.

“Janos back yet?” Rahab asked while Zephon took the moment to sneak a peak at his brother’s cards

“Yes, he’s otherwise engaged for the next few minutes though.” Raziel shrugged, squashing any and all feelings of jealousy. 

“Oh,” Rahab nodded peaking over Raziel’s shoulder seeing just how busy Janos was, “you can pair up with me for this game of you would like. I could use an extra eye or shoulder to hide behind!” he spoke with plain reference to the fact Zephon was still looking at his cards. Raziel smiled and moved closer to his brother but before the game could begin again it was stopped. 

“The three were ambiguous as they always are,” Janos’ voice raised above the chatter of the room. “I am unsure what to make of their words so I will give them to you as they were given to me.” 

“We will need a translator,” Raziel muttered, Janos’ smile widened and he nodded.

“Indeed I think we may need one,” Janos sighed loudly. “But we will see what you all make of it.” He took a deep breath and spoke slowly “The one that was absorbed will emerge. The nine will sing once more when all is silent and the one will prove to eight and take its rightful place. Darkness will seek to overcome the world. The choice will be made and the worshipers will fall.” 

“What does it have to do with the daemons?” Sebastian asked “I didn’t hear a word about them,” 

“I have been thinking on these words during my flight home and I cannot make much of it either.” Janos muttered “I believe the best course of action would be to speak with the guardians. They translated a great many prophecies in the past.” 

“You are not going tonight?” Vorador asked, Janos nodded. “The rain is long overdue, you must remain here.” 

“Child I can teleport,” Janos raised a dark blue eyebrow, smiling softly at his child’s concern. Vorador drew his sire out of the library and the chatter resumed. Raziel remained with his brothers and played a few hands. But conversation revolved around the newly revealed prophecy and Raziel soon lost his taste for the game and made excuses. He walked back to the north wing alone.

“Sometime I wonder why I get out of bed at all,” Raziel breathed and opened the door to his room. Closing the door he turned and leaned against the wood eyes closed. Why could Fate and Seers never speak plainly? Why were they prone to giving fancy names to people? What was wrong with peoples first name? He hated it when people called him Reaver or Reaver Spirit, his name was Raziel. The Reaver was a sword and a prison, it was not him. A creak of bed springs made his eyes snap open suddenly.

“Oh it is just you,” he muttered letting out the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.

“Sound a little more enthused if you please,” Kain grumbled standing and walking to Raziel’s writing table, his claw tips running over the spines of books Raziel kept on the table. “You seem out of sort’s child.” 

“The three Seers gave another prophecy today. So I think I have every right to be out of sorts,” Raziel answered sharply. Kain blinked at him. “They were the ones that told of what would happen to us. This new prophecy is very ambiguous and nobody has a damn clue what they’re talking about.”

“And you cannot figure out what to do about it?” Kain asked his tone clearly suggesting he thought his childe had taken one too many blows to the head. Absently he walked over to the bed and sat. Raziel followed.

“If you’re going to be sarcastic you can go,” Raziel grumbled, sitting next to his father. 

“If you would calm down and put your temper to the side for one minute you might think of the answer yourself,” Kain nudged, they were silent for a while before Kain lost patience, “foolish child,” he snapped. 

“What?” Raziel frowned confused. Kain glared at him.

“Since when were you the village idiot?” he snapped. “Go to the guardian of Time and tell him to open up the time stream so you can look at it. Or used the Chronoplast yourself.” 

“I’m not asking THEM for anything,” Raziel glared right back at his father “Your sense of humour has gotten strange since you died.” Raziel mumbled, Kain looked like he would bang his head on a wall with frustration but took a deep breath instead.

“Fine do not ask them. Wait and see what happens and if you’re not prepared on your own head be it.” Kain spoke firmly before fading into nothingness. Raziel sat and glared at the space where his father had been sat for a while before saying to himself 

“I wonder how many other peoples imagination yells at them. I bet it’s just mine.” 

Four weeks passed and the prophecy remained as foreign as it had when first received. Raziel’s mood turned immensely foul. A combination of frustration at the prophecy and irritation as the storms arrived. The rainy season in Nosgoth was not long but when it started it did not stop or let up until the end of the season. Effectively all vampires were trapped within the confines of the mansion for weeks. Vampires can live together if need be but to be in such closed quarters it was not surprising for minor wars to break out.

Raziel looked out of the window. What was hopefully the last storm of the rainy season was in full swing. Despite hating the rainy season Raziel had to admit he did like storms. He liked sitting and listening to them. He loved the sound of rain hitting the glass hard enough to almost break it, and the wind howling through the gardens. He wondered how many trees had died this year due to the wind. He used to sit up and listen to the storms when he was young. He would sit and listen to the raging weather tearing Nosgoth apart countered by the slow even breaths of his sleeping father. It had always made him happy to do so.

“Some storm,” Melchiah said opening the door and slipping into the dull room. Unintentionally wrenching Raziel from painful memories, Raziel was grateful. 

“It is loud,” Raziel admitted blinking hard. His eyes were stinging far more than they had a right to. “Where is everyone? The mansions so still, I was expecting another fight like yesterday. But today is silent. It is like everyone is evolving.” 

“It is quiet,” Melchiah nodded and came to kneel next to his brother by the window. “What were you thinking?” 

“Strange question,” Raziel smiled and jumped as a branch whipped at the window. Melchiah stood for a moment and went to the bed pulling one of the thick furs away and taking it back to the window, he dropped half over his brother and the other half around his shoulders.

“I remember the storms when we were young. They scared me half to death.” Melchiah laughed quietly pulling the fur up close. 

“You were already dead,” Raziel pointed out, the fur soft against his dead skin. He curled deeper into it wrapping the warmth around himself and pressing closer to his brother, grateful for the company. Storms always made him think too much. 

“Yes, and Zephon used to run around the sanctuary trying to terrify me,” Melchiah sounded peeved “Bastard,” Raziel snorted a laugh 

“I remember when you tried to get even and the two of you ended up locked in the courtyard,” Raziel muttered, “I thought he would leave you out there.” 

“Yes so did we, Kain was never overly patient. I’m surprised we all didn’t grow up twisted,” 

“I think we did,” Raziel corrected “grow up twisted that is.” 

“I find it strange,” Melchiah mumbled “that I cannot remember anything after you, well after Kain, after you left.” Raziel sighed 

“Fates way of fixing things. I doubt anything interesting happened anyway. After all without me what would you have done with yourself.” he yawned feeling grateful to his younger brother for coming to him, finally able to stop thinking and relax Raziel rested his head on Melchiah’s shoulder and let himself doze. 

The damage done by the storm was devastating to the landscape. Trees were pulled from the ground, fields were flooded. Raziel escaped the mansion shortly after the storm ended and had been shocked at the level of devastation. He walked to the graveyard alone, leaving Melchiah sleeping. The world was still and despite the destruction, it was calm everywhere. The graveyard had faired well, a few trees were uprooted and a few stones damaged as a result. But mostly it was unscathed, until he reached the mausoleum that had once housed his father. 

The ancient building was clearly damaged. What was left of the walls shook in the wind, remaining upright through luck alone. As he watched, frozen in place one of the walls toppled before him. The clattering of collapsing bricks had broken his shock and had driven him forward. He forced his way inside and further into the body of the now ruined building. The storm had been terrible indeed to do such damage. He clambered through the destruction, fighting to reach the central chamber. Upon forcing beams and stones from the doorway he entered and stopped. What was left of the walls in the central chamber were blackened, as if burned by a great flame. The air stank of electricity and power and Raziel began to rethink his assumption that it was the storm that had done this to the building. He knew this feeling in the air and these burn marks. He knew this spell. He had witnessed the aftermath of when Kain’s lightening spell was called indoors once before. It was not dissimilar to the destruction he was now seeing.

Raziel walked further into the chamber to where his father’s sarcophagus had been laid. It had been a large stone casket, large enough for several to fit easily. Now it was rubble, pushed apart from the inside. Raziel felt his heart quicken in his chest. Hope stirred within him and he felt his legs tremble. Franticly he sniffed at the air but could only scent the energy that had been here shortly before him. He turned but did so too fast, excitement getting the better of him. He fell, legs tangling with themselves. He toppled but landed on something soft. Looking at what he had fallen on he instantly recognised the attendant. It was Gregory. He was long dead, his throat torn out. Getting to his feet Raziel spotted the corpses of two other attendants a little way away. There were bloody footprints leading out the south doorway that was somehow still intact. For a moment he almost followed those footprints but stopped himself. This had been what he had been waiting for for the last fifty years. He did not want to take risks, he would need help. So he turned and ran towards the mansion. 

“VORADOR!” the cry made the elder vampire almost fall from his chair as Raziel barrelled into the east wing library covered in muck, blood and swamp residue smelling like the inside of a half rotten corpse. 

“What has happened to you?” the elder vampire managed before Raziel started speaking, ignoring the elders question. 

“He is gone Vorador!” Raziel panted, gripping the elders arm and trying to pull him from his seat. “Come we have to find him!” Vorador glared at the blood and muck Raziel was getting on his coat, the delicate stitching would not take kindly to being washed, he hissed lightly.

“Who?” Vorador frowned and eventually allowed the over egger fledgling to pull him out of his chair, his book falling to the floor. Raziel seemed half crazed, eyes wild with excitement and fear, clawed hands shaking violently. Vorador half expected him to start foaming at the mouth. 

“Kain!” Raziel snapped still dragging at the elder, pulling him through the mansion. Raziel glared at Vorador and noting the elders confused expression he elaborated. “I went to the graveyard, everything was asunder. The attendants were dead, drained and dry like dust. Kain is gone.” 

“You are mad Raziel,” Vorador spoke appalled and stopped walking and no matter how hard the fledgling pulled he would not be moved, Raziel hissed and let go of the elder holding up a hand. 

“I came back for your help,” Raziel snapped. “I could have pursued him myself, but I came back for you. Do not make me regret it.” Raziel turned and stalked down the corridor towards the main entrance of the mansion, Vorador following. The corridors were filled with his tension and Raziel could feel the power of the glyphs stir in him. He half expected fire to burst out across his skin, but he swallowed it, keeping it inside. Now was not the time to lose control, not when Vorador already thought him mad. 

“Wait,” Vorador snapped. Raziel span on his heal ready to yell at the ancient vampire. “We will need aid.” Raziel glared, eager to be on his way but Vorador was right and he nodded his consent. Vorador went very still and Raziel felt the power of the whisper emanate from the ancient beast. He waited for a few moments before Vorador turned to him again. 

“Well?” he snapped, tension making him angry. 

“Janos is already on his way here,” Vorador snapped “your brothers are all too far away to help except...” 

“Us,” Turel interrupted the ancient vampire, Melchiah on his heels. “Magnus is just coming along with Sebastian, I did not hunt for Marcus or Faustus.” 

“Why so many?” Raziel asked. He knew that he needed some aid in finding his father but did they really need so many? Vorador looked uncomfortable. Raziel felt his undead heart beat even faster and his head span slightly, this could not be good.

“I have been brought back from death young one,” Vorador sighed “it is a frightening experience, you are disorientated, alone, and your memory is jumbled. Both times when I was brought back I attacked those around me and had to be subdued until my memory gave me what I needed to be calm.” 

“What are you saying?” Melchiah spoke angrily before Raziel could manage. “That we’re going to have to subdue our father! We’ll be killed I’ve seen him obliterate armies before!!” 

“We just need to keep him still until he can think properly,” Vorador protested. “He’ll be weak and unsure of himself, it won’t be that difficult.” 

“I do not like this,” Turel said softly, “Melchiah is right this is too dangerous.” 

“You want us to hide then?” Raziel snapped “I’ll go myself if I have to.” 

“Do not be so foolish,” Vorador snapped “we will go together. You do not even know where he went.” Raziel was silent, Vorador nodded. “No doubt he’ll be starving so he’ll have headed to the nearest village. Ziegsturhl, he’ll be in Ziegsturhl or maybe Nachtholm.” Vorador paused. “But to be certain we will track him from the graveyard.” Raziel turned to look behind him as the scent of Janos came up the corridor just before the ancient vampire who was accompanied by Magnus and Sebastian, he turned back to Vorador.

“Are you certain?” Janos asked not stopping to breathe.

“No,” Vorador shook his head “but it is not a chance I wish to take.” With those words spoken he took Raziel by the shoulder and teleported them to the graveyard. They arrived moments before Janos and the others. Without waiting Raziel tore down the corridor leading to the main chamber which was the same as when he’d left it. The vampires spread all over the room checking it over but it was Janos who called everyone’s attention. He was knelt by the bloody footprints left behind. 

“I may be wrong but wasn’t your father evolved when he died?” Janos asked Raziel swallowed, he knew someone would notice.

“He was,” Vorador answered as if just realising what his sire was looking at. The footprints were human, not the taloned feet of an evolved vampire. 

“What does this mean?” Magnus asked voicing Raziel’s question. “That it’s not Kain? If not then where is he? And who did this?” Vorador stood up and took a deep breath through his nose sharply.

“Kain left through this door,” He said slowly. “Maybe he was carried out?” 

“Either way we go this way,” Raziel snapped bolting down the corridor following the prints until they faded then he followed his nose. The smell of ozone had faded and he was easily able to follow the scent. He ran forwards not realising when he ran through wrought iron bars until a shout from Melchiah stopped him. Vorador slipped through the bars with a mist form and Raziel silently thanked fate for allowing him to keep his wraith abilities. 

“You two go on,” Melchiah said, noting his brother eagerness to be going. 

“If you find him contact me,” Janos spoke carefully as if watching his words “I’ll teleport us to you.” 

“When!” Raziel snapped correcting the ancient vampire. “When we find him. Not if.” 

Abandoning Janos and his brother’s Raziel ran forwards out of the burial shrine. Vorador running beside him. They stopped for a moment less able to follow the scent outside. The wind and cool air dissipating it. Raziel snarled and started to panic. It was Vorador who drew his attention to the blood, blood had been splattered on the ground, and a few feet away rested the body of a guard. 

“It’s not going to be much of a homecoming if he goes on a killing spree,” Vorador muttered 

“Janos does not think it is him,” Raziel breathed 

“Janos never really knew Kain. They met once a long time ago in Meridian but it was a short meeting. I knew Kain. I lived with him for a long time.” Vorador stopped as if that was explanation enough. Raziel nodded, not wanting to waste time forcing Vorador to explain. They resumed their run towards Ziegsturhl. Upon entering the village Vorador laid a talon on Raziel’s shoulder.

“Rooftops,” Vorador breathed “we’ll cover more ground.” And with that they leapt upwards onto one of the lower buildings before leaping again onto a higher one. Together they searched the village and it didn’t take long to find what they were looking for. The scent of death floated on the breeze, they followed it to a large building that turned out to be a coaching inn. Vorador rolled his eyes, dreading the repercussions of a massacre. Raziel simply watched the building, unblinking and tense. The anticipation made him dizzy and he felt himself go faint. Only Vorador’s grip on his shoulders kept him upright. The rooftop was damp still from the rains and slippery, his near faint had made them both wobble. 

“Do not pass out,” Vorador snapped before going very still again and speaking through the whisper, moments later Janos, Melchiah, Magnus and Sebastian appeared on the rooftop. Magnus slipped and slid down to the gutter where he managed to get a grip. Sebastian and Janos reached down to help him. Raziel watched them for a moment before he sprang back up at the sound of a glass breaking. Leaping to the edge of the rooftop he peered over the lip and watched as a figure left the building. 

It was Kain. Yet it was not. 

Raziel blinked several times unable to understand what he was seeing. All of his senses told him that this was his father yet his eyes told him otherwise. Before him stood a fledgling vampire, this was no ancient. The creature on the ground below him was tall and strong looking but not as strong as his father had been. The skin that was not covered in the remains of clothing was pure white, no emerald tint touched it. The hair was the same colour but far shorter than Kain’s had been at the time of his death. Raziel remembered it reaching just above his waist when lose but this creatures only fell to his shoulders. Yet this creature smelt exactly like his father had. It moved the same way and the feel of it was the same. Everything was right and yet everything was wrong. 

“By the gods,” Vorador’s voice breathed beside him. Raziel jumped not noticing the elder’s arrival, to enthralled by the creature bellow that was now licking blood from its hand. 

“What is it, a Daemon?” Raziel managed before the lump in his throat stopped him talking. Vorador looked at him as if Raziel had just said the most absurd thing in history 

“It is Kain,” Vorador snapped then frowned “but he is as he was when I first met him. He looks newborn.” Raziel frowned then dropped to the ground, Kain went deathly still at the sound. 

“Kain?” Raziel breathed as the fledgling slowly turned. Raziel expected any number of reactions except for the one he got. Kain blinked golden eyes at him, tilting his head curiously for a second before speaking. 

“Who are you?” he asked, Raziel couldn’t answer. Hearing his father speak once more robbed him of his own voice. Without thought for how the one before him would react he approached closer and glared. The fledgling frowned at him before glaring right back. 

“Kain?” Raziel whispered. Kain frowned in confusion and slowly nodded flinching backwards as Raziel reached up to touch his face.

“Who are...” Kain froze as behind Raziel Melchiah dropped from the rooftop, followed by Magnus, Sebastian and Janos. Kain crouched and hissed loudly. Raziel span to look at those who had dropped from the roof and suddenly felt the tension in the air as Kain called magic to him, he went to turn back to Kain, to speak to him but was knocked of his feet by a bolt of raw magical energy. He crashed into his brother and Janos knocking them both to the floor. Scrambling to his feet he saw the tail end of the tattered cloak disappear round a corner. 

“You idiots,” Vorador dropped gracelessly from the rooftop, landing heavily and tumbling backwards. “Why did you do that!” 

“What?” Magnus asked, “We didn’t do anything,” 

“You spooked him!” Vorador got back to his feet and walked after Kain, Raziel ran to catch up. 

“Shouldn’t we run?” he asked, his heart still pounding. 

“No,” Vorador said firmly. “The last thing we want is for him to panic, god knows what he would do. I do not want to be responsible for setting him off and him destroying a village.” Raziel nodded unable to calm his hammering heart.

“He didn’t know me,” Raziel breathed feeling his heart stop in his chest.

“I told you his memory will be impeded for a while. Maybe for a few days. We have to restrain him till then and then we can,” 

“Vorador?” both vampires span around like lightening and stared, Kain stood half submerged in the darkness of an alleyway, tattered cloak held around him. The material was ragged and practically falling from him. Blood soaked and mud covered. Kain frowned hard and slowly stepped a little into the light bare feet sinking into the mud which was splattered high up his legs from having run through the forest. “Vorador?” the fledgling spoke again. 

“Kain?” Vorador swallowed “we’ve been looking for you.” Vorador held out an emerald talon to the younger fledgling and waited, wanting Kain to come to him. Raziel watched as without question or hesitation Kain took Vorador’s talon with a blood covered hand and Raziel felt a stab of grief. So this was his father before the betrayal at Meridian. Vorador pulled him further out of the shadows and made a show of looking him over. Kain growled at the scrutiny. 

“You seem in one piece, I’m glad,” Vorador smiled “come we will return home, you look like you need a rest and a clean would not go amiss.” Kain pulled back from the elder. 

“Who are you?” Kain frowned. Vorador lifted an eyebrow 

“You spoke my name,” Vorador pressed taking another step towards the fledgling. Kain took another step back. Raziel watched unsure what to do. 

“The word I know,” Kain conceded “but you I do not.” 

“Then know enough that we are like you, we will help you.” Vorador spoke slowly, “we can provide food, shelter and answers.” 

“I do not need help,” Kain snapped.

“Yes you do,” Raziel said before he could stop himself. Kain glared at him over Vorador’s shoulder. “A fledgling alone at the end of the rainy season, you will not last long.” 

“I can take care of myself,” Kain snapped. “Who are you to tell me otherwise.” Raziel sighed and rolled his eyes. He had forgotten in the last fifty years just how stubborn his father could be. 

“Tell me,” He said smirking “do you know who you are? Do you know where or when you are? What of how you came to be here?” Raziel waited for a moment to let the words sink in. “Come with us not for aid then but for answers.” Kain seemed to think on this. 

“You know me?” he asked after a few tense moments. Raziel nodded. 

“Yes Kain I know you very well.”

END OF PART ONE  
Thank you for reading, please review, I’d love to hear what you think of the fic. 

For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates as well as weekly blogs check out https : // katiemarie21 . wordpress . com 

I wrote a Book. A big one and a couple of little ones. Check them out here https : // katiemarie21 . wordpress . com / shop /

My first Novel, Grey Wings has now been released!

GREY WINGS

Jason is stranded in a dark city, and is in desperate need of help when he has no idea how he will get home.

So, when he collides with Aurelius, an Angel only in the mildest sense of the word – who has committed a crime worthy of great punishment, but has been handed a rare chance at redemption – Jason can see a way home.

However, their journey will be hampered by Fallen Angels, Earth Spirits, and Griffons – and none can say if everyone will make it home.


	2. Chapter Two

Creation  
Book One: The Balance of Life and Death 

Disclaimer: Legacy of Kain belongs to Edios and Crystal Dynamics not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Vorador then he’d be mine.   
Warning: this fic eventually contains YAOI (GuyXGuy) and a lemon, if this offends or upsets you do not read this, it that simple.   
Rating: NC-17  
Pairing: Raziel/Kain  
Setting: post all games   
Summery: The Wars are over, Nosgoth has been saved. But a newer or perhaps older enemy rears its head.  
Italics mean either flashbacks or thoughts

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Chapter Two

It was an oppressive place where they choose to gather. Pitch dark, the men and women stood blind. The air hung limp and humid, thick with the incense they burned to cover the stench of death. Breathing in this blind place was a challenge. The chamber was crammed tight with bodies making it hot and rank. Surprisingly it was silent. The silence was almost palpable, everyone breathing heavily but each trying to do so quieter than the man next to him. It was an awful place, a place filled with fear. Which was the reason why their God chose to live here. 

The air changed, the oppressive nature no longer being caused by heat, silence and smell but by power. It coiled thick and alive through the chamber. The silence ceased to be and was instead replaced by low rumbling words. It spread like disease and soon every man woman and child in the chamber were uttering the words. 

Praise be to God.   
Raise him up.   
Break the barrier. 

*^*^*^*

The journey back to the mansion was tense. No one seemed able to find their words which was almost unheard of after a return. Raziel had only been privy to two returns previously and they were not like this. Getting everyone to shut up their excited clamouring was usually the difficulty. Everyone wanted to talk to the newly returned, to enlighten them to the new situation, and to welcome them back to life. No one was doing that now. Fortunately Kain didn’t seem to notice. Walking next to Vorador he was too busy watching his surroundings to notice just how tense everyone else was. Raziel used the opportunity to study his fledgling Sire. Kain had not lost any of his height, he was narrower though, having lost much of the bulk that evolution had armed him with. His hands were not yet clawed and his movements were jerky and human, not yet the smooth predator he would one day become. His Sire appeared newly raised. It was unsettling to see him as such. Kain had always been the stronger, the more durable of them both and here he was looking as vulnerable as any vampire fledgling had ever been. Raziel had the urge to take his hand but managed to control himself. They approached the edge of the swamp where Vorador stopped them. 

“Vorador?” Melchiah asked after a moment. The elder was staring at his home land with apprehension. 

“I’m considering how best to proceed,” Vorador admitted, gesturing to Kain. Raziel looked out at the swamp. The rains had ended only the day before and the swamp was filled to bursting. Fledglings would not be able to leave the mansion for the next week or so while the swamp drained to its usual level. Even older vampires would have to step carefully and wear protection from the lethal element. Raziel glanced at his own clothes. He no longer feared water and had dressed as he usually did. The others were dressed more appropriately, long boots treated with fats, gloves and leather coats with high collars to protect themselves. Kain however was ‘clothed’ only in his shroud, held in place by his death grip on the tattered cloth. It had become torn and filthy in his journey from the graveyard and would offer no protection in the swamp. Raziel looked to where his Sire stood to see an empty space. His breath caught in his throat and he rubber necked searching the area. But Kain stood only a little way away, apparently bored with the conversation he had found interest elsewhere. 

“We could teleport,” Melchiah said snapping Raziel’s eyes back to the matter at hand. 

“Risky,” Janos mused. “It could panic him.” Raziel had witnessed reborn vampires who panicked in the past, it was usually nothing to concern himself with but Kain was lethal even at this age. 

“You could carry him and fly,” Melchiah suggested to Janos. Janos gave Melchiah an unpleasant look. 

“I think we will have to walk,” Vorador said. “We will just have to take care.” He looked around at the group and sighed. “Anyone who wishes to teleport may.” No one spoke up. Vorador nodded and looked to Kain who had wandered further away. “Are we boring you?” he called, Kain looked up and walked to join them. 

“A little,” he admitted smirking. Raziel rolled his eyes, his Sire was an ass. 

“Forgive us,” Vorador clipped the fledgling on the head and pushed him forwards. “That way child.” 

The journey forwards did not last long. They made it only meters into the swamp before it became clear it would be impassable. Ground that seemed solid enough to the eye was in fact not. Plants tangled in the legs of those who walked past and falling branches were common and caused unpleasantly large splashes. Tensions rose fast and it did not take long before the smell of burnt skin filled the air. 

“This is where you live?” Kain asked as they stopped. Vorador turned to answer, his movements sharp and irritated. But his expression changed to one of shock when the ground beneath Kain shook and fell way. The fall would have dropped Kain into over a meter of deep water. But Vorador was used to fledglings and their regular need to be suddenly rescued. He grabbed Kain and yanked him forwards, away from the collapsing ground. The ground fell into the water and did so with speed and ferocity that it caused the water to splash highly. Kain’s left side burned as the splash struck him and he cursed. 

“Yes we live here,” Vorador breathed, looking at the fledgling’s burnt side. He made soft clicking sounds with his tongue as he looked over the burn. His eyes wandered to Kain’s legs which were for the most part bare and burnt. His feet to were exposed to the elements and were blistering. “Although you will not for long unless we do something.” With that said he lifted him despite said fledgling’s huff of indignation and verbal protests. The group travelled forward at a much faster pace now that the most fragile was taken care of. 

Even so the trail was dangerous and the going was slower than usual. Raziel smiled at the constant but quiet complaints of his Sire. Melchiah walked beside him and shared his smile. They walked through the swamp together quiet but for the grumblings. It was incredible to be hearing Kain’s voice again, after so long with only his overactive imagination and one sided conversations. To physically have Kain here was enough to make him wobble in his steps. With little thought he reached forward a shaking hand and brushed talons over Kain’s shoulder. Kain stopped grumbling for a moment and looked at him. Raziel swallowed hard and tried to speak. But it was impossible with such a stare on him. Kain raised an eyebrow and watched him for a moment before turning his attention back to his complaints. Raziel shook himself and tried to get his heart to slow. To distract himself he looked around at the group and noted that Janos was walking with them. Normally the ancient vampire would take to the wing on such journeys. His movements on the ground were slow and clumsy. But on the wing he was in his element and moved smoothly, like the predator he was. Because of this it was rare for Janos to walk unless indoors. Janos caught him watching and moved closer. A wing bumped Raziel’s shoulder and the ancient looked apologetic, raziel managed a kind expression. 

“The prophecy,” Janos said “Spoke of a return.” Raziel felt his stomach turn to ice. His throat closed and his vision blurred. For a moment he thought he would fall but managed to keep his footing and his dignity. Janos and Melchiah both noticed his waver and looked concerned. 

“Raziel?” Melchiah reached out to touch his brother. Raziel shook him off and turned to Janos. 

“Are you serious?” he asked. “You think this is prophecy?”

“Yes,” Janos sighed, noting Raziel’s agitation. They fell silent as they leapt a pool that had become a lake. They were getting close to the house. 

“Have you memorised that damn prophecy!” Raziel asked incredulous when they were able to speak again. “We are not even to the mansion and already you have designs.” 

“They are not my designs Raziel,” Janos pressed, Raziel glared, his anger flaring. 

“I suppose it is too much to ask that we have a single afternoon to reacquaint ourselves?” Raziel growled. He had hoped that he would have time now. Time that had been taken from them before, when he had been young and Kain preoccupied with the future. Janos’ words stung him. 

“No one is trying to steal from you child. I am only sating what I see and I see prophecy.” 

“Can you at least not carry me into the house?” Kain’s voice broke the tension. It was already defeated, as if he knew he would be ignored but felt he had to make the complaint regardless.

“The ground is still treacherous,” Vorador sounded far too smug for Raziel’s tastes. 

“Indoors?” Kain asked disbelieving. Vorador continued to look smug and nodded. Raziel snarled as they approached the house and Vorador turned to him. 

“I am taking him to be cleaned unless you would rather leave him looking like a homeless waif?” Raziel swallowed his protest and nodded. He supposed Kain would need clothes and possibly less mud and grime in his hair. He followed them into the mansion ignoring the gawking vampires who were trying too hard to be nonchalant to not be looking. He stopped when Melchiah grabbed his arm and pulled him into one of the smaller sitting rooms. Vorador continued on with his burden and Raziel watched him leave. 

“Where did the others go?” he asked entering the small room and realising that it was only Melchiah and Janos in the room with him. 

“To spread the word,” Melchiah grinned. “The rumour mill will be running full steam.” He fell silent and simply grinned at his older brother. Raziel could see the excitement on his face and waited for him to speak again. He did not have to wait long. “Can you believe it!” Melchiah burst after only moments. “Sire has returned just like you said he would. But so different! I can’t think why he would come back like this?”

“He did not know me,” Raziel slumped down into one of the soft chairs that littered the room. Melchiah lost his excitement and swallowed. 

“It will pass I am sure,” Janos soothed. “He is not the first to return with fragments missing.”

“But me!” Raziel tilted his head back and covered his face with his hands. “He didn’t know me and don’t think I cannot see the irony in this.”

“I said nothing,” Janos put his hands up. “Raziel be calm, being agitated will not help things.” Raziel opened his mouth to bark an answer but Melchiah cut him off.

“We’re going to have to tell the Guardians,” Melchiah spoke up. His point an unwelcome distraction. 

“No. We do not,” Raziel snapped. “They can find out on their damned own.” 

“Raziel,” Janos scolded “we all know of your dislike but even you cannot suggest hiding this from them.” 

“I can and I am. At least until he knows who he is,” Raziel snapped. “They would use him and using Kain is a bloody foolish thing to do.” 

“So I have heard,” Janos nodded. “But they would not use him and his presence would reassure many after the rather ambiguous prophecy.”

“I do not care if it would solve all our problems right now,” Raziel growled. “I am not handing him over to them.” 

“No one said to hand him over,” Janos pinched the bridge of his nose. “Only alert them to his return.” 

“Our Sire was rather unpredictable,” Melchiah said before Raziel could snap at Janos again. It was unsettling to see him be so rude to one he held such respect for. “I think exposing him to the Guardians now would be unwise.”

“It would be an unmitigated disaster but one I cannot see a way to stop,” Vorador said in an amused tone as he entered the room. To Raziel’s searching expression he smiled. “I left him with some of my older women, they are taking care of him and will come call you when they are done.”

“Good,” Raziel was fidgeting. Unable to sit still but unable to go, he felt as if he were being torn apart. Rationality said that Vorador’s actions were reasonable and judicious but his heart said hang them all, he had waited fifty years and any longer might destroy him. 

“We will inform the Guardians,” Vorador said slowly. “But we will also instruct them that we are to be left alone here until we feel that it is time to make any formal introduction.” 

“You think they will swallow that?” Raziel laughed unkindly. “I certainly do not. You know as well as I that they will wait only a moment before demanding he be sent out to cull the demons.” 

“He cannot fight Demons as he is now,” Vorador said firmly and Raziel nodded. “It would be death to any fledgling to do such.” 

“But we cannot hide from them!” Janos said appalled at what he was hearing. “You cannot consider hiding!”

“I will consider what I need to in order to protect my home and those in it. Even if one of those in my home is bastard Kain.” Janos snorted his anger, his wings twitching with agitation. For a moment he looked as if he would storm out of the small room but he did not. Instead he took a deep breath and calmed. After a few moments he spoke, changing the subject slightly. “Has anyone else realised yet that Kain was the Balance Guardian and our Guardians are one short?” 

“I rather take pleasure in reminding them,” Raziel admitted.

“But what do you think their reaction would be to him considering that?” Vorador mused aloud. “They would rope him into taking up the pillar again?” Before any could answer there was a quiet knock and a small woman older than she looked entered the room and nodded to Raziel before leaving. Raziel stood and looked to Vorador. 

“I am not handing him over,” he said firmly and left the room. 

Walking down the corridor behind the small woman he grumbled to himself. Let Vorador and Janos argue it as much as they liked, it mattered little what they decided in the end. He would not allow the pretender Guardians to sink their claws into his too young Sire. At least until he was sure the Kain was well able to break those claws himself. 

The woman led him deep into the mansion to where the private bedrooms were housed. He was a little surprised. He had thought to be lead to the communal chambers that were used to board new arrivals. Apparently Vorador thought the Scion deserved his own room. Raziel was a little disappointed. He had planned to find Kain in a communal area, throw a small outraged tantrum that would have been purely for show and take his Sire into his own rooms. He huffed as that plan went up in smoke. The woman leading him stopped outside a room that was a little too close to Vorador’s for Raziel’s liking and gestured to the door. She turned silently and left. Her silence was not an unusual trait. The women had not always been so with him but after fifty years of rejection they had grown tired of chasing him and were now only polite. 

Ignoring her Raziel pushed the door open and entered. The room was a lot smaller than he had expected. It was also less ornate than he had expected. But the room was not the focus of his attention for long. The bed caught his eye quickly, or rather the covered form on the bed did. Walking over he felt a sense of relief washing through him and he swallowed hard feeling a lump form in his throat. He reached the bed and paused, leaning over and pressing his weight on the edge of the mattress, trying to get a better look. Kain rolled over suddenly and looked at him through half closed semi gold eyes. Raziel took a moment to notice that he had been cleaned and fed, and he looked better for it. Kain yawned widely and watched him through half closed eyes. 

“Hell,.” Raziel managed, feeling foolish. Kain blinked at him half hidden under thick furs and sheets, and seemed content to remain quiet. “Are you alright?” Raziel asked slowly, crushing down the feeling of grief that whelmed up inside of him when his Sire continued to look at him. The soft look that Kain had always had for him had gone. Something was missing from his eyes. There was no recognition. His Sire didn’t know him at all. He had no memory of any of the time they had spent together. Raziel felt grief take a strangle hold of him. Fate was a cruel creature to give him back the one thing he had hungered and longed for above all else, but robbed of all memory, all knowledge of what they had shared. Kain nodded before speaking. 

“I am alright,” he yawned again and made to sit up. Raziel put a hand on his shoulder and pressed slightly keeping him down. 

“You should sleep,” Raziel nodded firmly and moved back to sit in the chair beside the bed. “Are you hungry?” he added, Kain shook his head. “You don’t remember me do you?” Raziel spoke, Kain shook his head again.

“No I don’t,” he stretched under the furs covering the bed and nearly disappeared under them. 

“I was your firstborn,” Raziel forced a smile “my name is Raziel.” Outside it started to rain again as Raziel told their story. 

Raziel was not sure when he fell asleep but when he woke up he was alone. He jumped to his feet and span on the spot looking all around the room. Panic gripped him making his throat close tight and his heart race inside his chest. He had told Kain much of what had occurred from his own birth to the time Kain had cast him into the abyss. He had not gone much further than that both because Kain fell asleep and because he knew he had already said too much. It was a well enforced rule that those without memories are left to recover what they will alone. The first few returns had had little memory, Vorador had informed them of what they did not recall and the knowledge drove them to death again. Raziel felt his panic grow stronger, what if Kain had not been ready to hear of their empire? What if he had fled him for fear of what had been? Raziel’s heart felt like it would burst. His chest tightened and it hurt to breathe. Then he caught the scent of his Sire in the air and closed his eyes. Concentrating he managed to slow his heart and let his mind work. He touched the bed and felt relief wash through him, it as cooling but still held some warmth. Kain had not been gone long. Vampire’s did not make much in the way of body heat and it never took long for beds to cool. That this one still had some heat was very reassuring. He took a deep breath through his nose and holding that scent walked from the room. Kain had apparently forgotten his way around the mansion as his trail doubled back on itself more than once. Raziel half expected to turn the next corner and run into his back. 

But he did not and the trail continued until apparently Kain had become exasperated and had made his escape through a window. Following Raziel felt fear creeping back into his chest. The swamp was still flooded. If Kain had walked out alone it could be very dangerous. Reaching the edge of the gardens Raziel started to run. The swamps were deadly to fledglings and Kain knew this having come through them only yesterday. Why would he go there again? Unless he ... Raziel couldn’t finish that thought. He was running full out when he hit the swamp. He panicked when the scent disappeared and spent a few moments running in circles trying to find it again. It was only when frustration took hold and he hit a tree causing a branch to fall that he found it again. The fallen branch smelled like his Sire. Raziel grinned and looked up. Kain may have lost his memory but not his wits apparently. He had taken to the skies. Clearly he now remembered his bat form. 

Raziel clambered up the sodden tree and tried to discover what direction Kain had flown off in. The top of the tree was not very high from the ground but it was high enough to give Raziel a view of the swamp and of the pillars, rising into the sky. He snapped his fingers and after jumping down took off at a run for the pillars. During his telling last night Kain had asked a few questions about them, more so than anything else. It made sense that he would go there. It did not take him long to traverse the swamp, thick skin, a gift of evolution and his immunity to water meant that the pools and plants held no danger for him. He bolted through the swamp like it was an open field. 

He caught up with Kain at the edge of the swamp where the land became forest. He spotted a flash of white and grinned feeling his legs go shaky for only a moment. He paused watching his fledgling Sire clamber through the forest and decided to remain downwind until he had calmed himself. It was obvious where Kain was going but still a little subterfuge could prove interesting. Kain paused suddenly and sniffed the air, Raziel froze. He cursed himself silently thinking he must have made too much noise or missed a change in the wind or some other trivial thing that would give away his presence. Kain turned and looked right at him before sighing and moving onwards. Raziel knew that his Sire knew he was there but for some reason he wasn’t calling him out. This confused him and so wrapped up was he in his confusion that he failed to notice the set of tracks in the sodden leaf litter. 

They continued moving westward and Raziel paused. Technically Kain was a Guardian. He was still the Balance Guardian. He made the eight ancient Guardians into nine. Raziel nearly laughed wondering what the ancient Guardians would think of that. No doubt the image conscious Guardians would be worried that Kain didn’t match them. They would want to paint him blue and glue paper wings to him. Raziel nearly sniggered aloud but a loud snap to the left grabbed his full attention. Kain to must have heard it but he kept walking straight. Raziel opened his mouth to shout a warning but was a second too late. The great black creature leapt. Raziel shouted as he watched Kain tense himself for the blow. Before he had formulated a plan of any sort he leapt and collided heavily with the creature sending them both to the left missing his Sire and landing in a briar. A hand gripped his collar and pulled hard, drawing him out of the briar and off the Demon which was also getting to its feet. 

“Why are you following me?” Kain demanded. 

Before Raziel could answer the Demon charged making both vampires leap to the sides to avoid being impaled on long horns. Raziel slashed the creature across the eyes with his claws while his Sire shifted into mist to avoid being clawed by the Demon. Blinded the demon howled and turned, lashing out wildly. Raziel smiled when he saw Kain become solid a good distance from the flailing demon. He leapt forward toward the demon glyph magic at hand and fire erupted over the Demon as he struck it. Using the Demon as a spring board he jumped again and landed close to his Sire. 

“Little vampire,” the demon snarled. The glyph flames fading quickly, too quickly to do much damage to such thick hide. “You think you can keep us out?” 

“It can speak,” Kain frowned. Raziel nodded. “I’ve fought these before,” Kain mused more to himself than to Raziel. But Raziel nodded anyway. 

“You trespass here demon,” he called catching the blinded demon’s attention. The huge creature laughed. 

“Do I?” It chortled “there are always men who will call us over from home and there are always those who will sustain us once we are here.” 

“Sustain?” Kain muttered again more to himself than anyone else. “They need help to live here?” 

“Apparently,” Raziel rolled his shoulders and moved forwards. He was tired of listening and slashed at thick skin while dodging giant claws. The Demon’s flames caught his clothes at one point but did not cause him injury. The demon tired quickly and fell soon after. 

“I’ve fought such creatures before,” Kain stated again. Raziel nodded again. 

“Yes you have, they shouldn’t be here any longer after what you ... after the land was purified but for some reason they remain,” he shrugged. “We do not know why or where they are coming from but we will soon.” 

“Oh,” Kain mumbled and turned to walk away. 

“You’re heading to the pillars?” Raziel called after him. Kain didn’t turn around when he answered. 

“Yes,” he answered simply. Raziel fidgeted and then sighed annoyed at himself. He was centuries old, he had been a clan lord of Nosgoth, he had battled Gods and Demons, travelled through time and he was reduced to a fidgeting fledgling by a man he had once known better than he knew himself. It was embarrassing. Kain stopped walking and turned. He looked confused and a little uncomfortable but when he spoke his words were smooth and confident. “You may join me if you wish.” Raziel smiled, only weeks old and already his Sire sounded like he had when he had ruled Nosgoth for centuries. 

Raziel followed him silently for a while noting all the changes in his Sire. Smaller, weaker but no less arrogant. Absently Raziel place a hand on his Sire’s arm. Kain glanced at him as they walked and frowned but said nothing. Raziel smiled and forced himself to take his hand back and look away, wondering what it must be like to have someone you know nothing of stare at you as he was staring at his Sire. 

“You want to see the pillars?” Raziel asked when walking in silence became to difficult, talking gave him an excuse to look. “They are white now,” he mumbled. 

“Yes,” Kain said quietly “you say I did that,” his statement was not a question but it sounded unsure. 

“You did,” Raziel confirmed “do you remember that?” Kain made a non committal gesture. 

“Yes,” he said after a few moments. “I remember them being black and somehow it was as if I was the cause. So I corrected this.” He smiled a little “although why it was so important or how I managed it I cannot say.”

“How did you know you would be able to heal them?” Raziel asked. It was a question he had wanted to know the answer to for the last fifty years. He had often imagined a time when he would ask it. Funnily enough none of his imaginings were like the current situation. 

“I did not know for sure,” Kain answered honestly, Raziel blinked. It was unlike his Sire to openly admit weakness to anyone, even him. “But I trusted myself,” Kain continued “it was the only thing I have ever been sure about in my life, I could not be wrong.” Again he made a non committal gesture “although why I was so sure, again I cannot say.” 

The woods grew thinner as they approached and Raziel found himself wondering just what Kain had meant when he said that restoring the pillars was the only thing he had ever been sure of in his life. His Sire had always looked so sure about everything he did. But Raziel had learned a while ago that Kain’s self confidence was mostly a mask put in place to hide a weakness. When the land had first been healed he’d spent much time with Vorador as well as Janos and Vorador had told him a great deal about his Sire when he was younger. It had shocked Raziel to discover that Kain had had so little faith in himself and even less in those around him. But Raziel liked to think he understood why. 

The pillars clearing was just ahead and Kain was smiling a strange sort of smile, one Raziel had rarely seen. They entered the clearing and Raziel felt the tension and confusion melt away from his Sire. The pillars stood whole and pristine, great pillars of white Marble. Raziel wondered what it must be like to look at them and see living things rather than just stone. But his thoughts were interrupted as Kain stepped up onto the marble base and the symbols carved into the ground glowed with power. Both Kain and Raziel froze, Raziel panicked but Kain seemed relieved. 

“That has never happened before,” Raziel said freezing in place. 

“This is what happened the first time I came here.” Kain answered quietly. “My Sire brought me to see them. But he pulled me back before I could touch them. He took me home and told me to never tell anyone what had happened. After a time I think I forgot it had happened at all.” He turned back from Raziel to the pillars. 

“But?” Raziel stumbled over his words, blinded suddenly as Kain touched the Balance pillar and the light from the symbols intensified. He watched as the light moved up into the pillar and down Kain’s arm into him. Kain stayed that way for a moment before drawing back. “That does not happen when the other Guardian’s touch the pillars!” Raziel snapped as Kain walked back and sat on the edge of the marble base, the light dying down to a comfortable glow now. Kain sighed and looked confused again. 

“I don’t know,” he breathed after a moment.

“You don’t know what?” Raziel asked sitting next to him. Kain looked at him for a moment before answering. 

“I don’t know,” Kain answered again. “But I think I should know. I feel that part of me is screaming at myself but I won’t listen.” 

“It will sort itself out,” Raziel mumbled, repeating Janos’ words and hoping they were true. Again his hand found his Sire’s shoulder.

“I don’t remember you,” Kain snapped suddenly, jerking away. Raziel flinched and looked down. “With your strange looks and overly familiar gestures.” Raziel swallowed hard feeling his throat tighten. Kain sighed. “But the things you said last night make me think that I should.” 

“It doesn’t matter that you don’t remember me,” Raziel interrupted, managing to speak around the lump in his throat “it doesn’t matter.” Kain looked confused and shook his head as if fed up.

“Kain?” Raziel breathed. It felt so strange to say his name to him. Kain didn’t answer and looked back to the pillars now glowing faintly. “Come,” Raziel stood “Vorador will worry.” Kain glanced at him 

“I would rather remain here,” Raziel smirked and offered Kain his hand. 

“That I can believe. This was your home once,” he explained “you built it around the pillars.” 

“That sounds like something I would do,” Kain muttered taking Raziel’s hand and allowing the physically older to pull him to his feet. “They speak to me,” he did not follow Raziel towards the edge of the clearing. Instead remained on the marble base. 

“Not words surely?” Raziel asked, turning back to face his Sire. Kain shook his head. 

“Not in any language no. But they speak none the less.” Kain walked back to the Balance pillar and Raziel sighed. 

“We cannot remain, Vorador will do horrible things,” Raziel pressed. “When he realises we are gone he will send out armies to find you.” 

“I doubt that,” Kain snorted Raziel raised an eyebrow. 

“You do not know Vorador then,” he said softly 

“I do not need to know him to know that such foolishness would not happen,” Kain growled. Raziel laughed at the arrogant tone. Kain snarled at the laughter which only made it worse. 

“I have missed you,” Raziel said after a few moments when he could speak without laughing or otherwise embarrassing himself. 

“So you said,” Kain muttered anger leaving him “how long could I have possibly been gone for you to miss me so firstborn?” Raziel swallowed at the question.

“You’ve been dead a mortal lifetime. But we fought for a long time before that and then I was gone an age before that. So it’s been over a millennium since we last had a proper conversation.” He trailed off remembering the last time he had really spoken to his Sire without the hate clouding his mind. He had been dying and time had been running away from them rapidly. He hadn’t said half of what he wanted to. “I never got to tell you.” 

“Tell me what?” Kain frowned glancing at Raziel as they walked. 

“I never got to tell you how sorry I am,” Raziel breathed. Kain looked like he would say nothing, but shook his head and spoke. 

“You apologize for something I have no knowledge of. You are a strange creature. But I think your apology is not for me. Why apologize to one who has no idea why you should be sorry. You apologize to yourself I think.” Raziel took a moment to digest that before snorting and walking to his Sire. 

“You are the same even now,” he snapped. “But I suppose I should not hate you for it.” 

“I am glad to hear it,” Kain muttered. Raziel sighed looked around for something to change the subject. Fortunately a Demon screeched in the distance and offered him his diversion. Kain was looking at the Balance pillar again as if it were the one speaking and not Raziel. Raziel coughed to get his attention. 

“You realize the other Guardians will want to meet you,” he said, Kain looked at him. “But you should refuse to do so.” 

“Why should I do that?” Kain folded his arms across his chest. It was a familiar gesture and made Raziel smile. 

“They are pretenders and fools. They would demand much of you.” 

“I fail to see why that means I should hide from them,” Kain muttered. 

“Not hide,” Raziel sighed “but perhaps avoid for a time. They would send you to solve the Demon problem.”

“You think they would harm me if I refused?” Kain asked Raziel shook his head “then why shield me from them?” 

“Because,” Raziel swallowed “they do not deserve...” he trailed off, again unable to find the words. Kain moved away from the pillar and closer to his child. He placed a hand on the slightly shorter vampire’s head, fingers threading through his hair. Raziel had to consciously stop the noise he would have made.

“But you do deserve,” it was not a question but Raziel felt himself start to nod. The sound of wing beats stopped him however. Instead he looked up dislodging the hand on his head. Kain snarled at the disturbance but Raziel recognized it. “Hello Janos,” he said without turning. 

“Vorador sent me,” Janos said by way of greeting. “Good morning Scion,” he dipped his head to Kain who smirked and gave a small acknowledging nod. Raziel smiled, Kain had no idea what Scion even was let alone who he really was. It was another example of his arrogance that he encouraged Janos’ respectful gesture despite not knowing the cause. 

“I am not surprised. We were coming back,” Raziel looked away from the carcass and looked to Janos. 

“I am to bring you back,” Janos pressed “Vorador has enlisted the services of Maria. She has agreed to look at your Sire and try to ascertain how badly the memory loss is and whether it is something that will heal or fates hand in play.” 

“I do not wish to be prodded,” Kain said his voice darkening “I am not cattle.” 

“It’s a healer not an executioner,” Raziel said firmly. He turned to Janos who was walking closer to them keeping a calm eye on Kain who was tense. “Come Janos we will note bite you,” Janos ruffled his feather indignantly. Raziel smiled and took his Sire’s hand pulling him closer to Janos, amused at the wary look the fledgling gave the ancient. Janos close wings about them both and they vanished in the light of teleportation. 

Back at the mansion Raziel watched as his Sire suffered through the attentions of Maria. She was a competent healer. She had been an assistant to a physician in Willendorf when she had been changed and had a wide range of knowledge herself. Raziel often suspected that she was the true mind behind her physician, unfortunately for her women could not be physicians. She examined his Sire as thoroughly as any new born she had seen and after a few moments of hums declared him fit. She could find no reason for his memory lapse and so put it down to fates medaling. Raziel’s heart sunk when she said this. For those who had been tampered with by fate often remained as they were. Very few remembered what they should not remember. He excused himself after the verdict and waited in the hallway for the others to stop fussing. Janos followed him into the hall.

“It will be alright,” Janos said softly.

“What will be alright?” he asked, Janos gestured to the room they were waiting outside of. 

“You and him,” he said “even if your Sire never recovers his memory he still watches you all the time. You do not watch someone constantly for no reason.” 

“Your advice is noted, please stop,” Raziel shifted awkward. Janos smiled and waved to Melchiah when he exited the room. 

“Kain’s going to kill her,” Melchiah said calmly as he leaned back against the wall. “Maria pulled his hair and he nearly gave her a black eye,” he laughed then noticing Raziel’s expression stopped. “Are you alright?” he asked. 

“I’m just peachy,” Raziel snapped, then shook his head and apologized to his younger brother. 

“You realise,” Melchiah started “that even if Kain doesn’t get his memory back that you can still be as you were.” 

“That was very delicately put,” Raziel muttered then sighed “are you suggesting that if Kain does not retrieve his memory then I’m supposed to just, what, force myself into his affections, beg my way into his bed. I think not.”

“You can start over,” Melchiah pressed. Raziel Laughed 

“You are a fool Melchiah,” he snarled “how can I start over? Everything has changed, he is no longer the man he was. He is slight and does not know me or anything that we have done.” 

“It is your only option,” Melchiah growled “either you hope his memory comes back or you start the relationship a new.” 

“You always bring me good news Melchiah,” Raziel grumbled and went back to waiting. They waited together sniggering occasionally at the odd shout of “stay still!” 

“We were attacked,” Raziel said suddenly “on the way to the pillars. By a black demon. It spoke of men calling it and others sustaining it.” 

“I feared this,” Janos admitted “the worshipers will fall. But fall where I wonder and why. ”

“Not again,” Raziel groaned “enough with that, it will not help us. They never have before. All prophecies do is beguile and mislead!” Janos opened his mouth to argue but Kain choose that moment to escape his captors and with as much dignity as possible work his way into their group until he was standing behind Raziel, “what are you doing?” Raziel couldn’t help but smile. 

“Nothing,” Kain gestured to Maria who was now emerging into the hallway, “I have simply chosen to remove myself,” Melchiah laughed aloud and did not stop despite the glares from his Sire. 

“Maria,” Melchiah stepped forwards before the healer started chasing his Sire down the hallway. “I must beg your forgiveness but my breatherin are eager to become reacquainted and I had come to collect my Sire. I know you’ll understand.” Maria had a soft spot for Melchiah, it was well known and she sighed before nodding. 

“Brute was too much hassle anyway. If he does get sick don’t bring him to me,” she huffed returning to her chamber. 

“Come before she changes her mind,” Melchiah tugged at his Sire’s arm and lead them down the hallway. Janos watched them go. 

“You are useful,” Kain conceded after they were a safe distance away. Melchiah smirked.

“I am,” he agreed “far more useful than Raziel. Handsomer as well. I am your last born.” 

“First dead if you are not careful,” Raziel grumbled. Kain smirked at him before turning his attention back to Melchiah. 

“Raziel tells me I have six children,” Melchiah nodded 

“You do but I was favored,” Melchiah grinned avoiding Raziel’s claws, “you saved the best for last.” Again he dodged claws. “Now now Raziel no need for jealousy, it is common for the youngest to be favored so I hear.” 

“Zephon’s going to become very popular in a moment then,” Raziel swiped for his brother again but couldn’t help but smile. Melchiah had a talent for lifting his moods. It was one of the reasons he had become close to his youngest brother. Kain watched them seemingly amused by their bickering. Eventually Melchiah conceded defeat. 

“Alright,” he held his hands up “you win, I admit I was jesting, Raziel was favored, not I,” he smirked at Kain. Raziel felt his stomach twist into knots. Hearing Melchiah profess the truth to his Sire was worse than the jesting had been. 

“I will make up my own mind,” Kain snorted.

“I have no doubt you will,” Raziel smirked. He recognized that tone of voice and hope flashed through him. Perhaps Melchiah and Janos were right. Kain did not remember him but perhaps a new beginning was needed, one that would not hold the memory of past mistakes over them like a shroud. 

“Come Zephon has called a game in the north Library,” Melchiah continued to lead them to the rest of his siblings. “I did not lie to Maria when I told her they want to meet you again.” 

So the afternoon was spent around a table with cards in hand. Raziel had never lost as many games in fifty years as he did that night. Though it was his own lack of attention that caused the loss and not Kain’s cheating. As usual Turel walked away with the most winning hands but after the fourth win they stopped keeping track. Conversation was relaxed as each told stories of past exploits to their Sire. Raziel couldn’t help but feel like things were becoming as they were before. Each of his brothers trying to impress their Sire with tales of great deeds and incredible wit, but Kain only half listening. Towards the dawn when his Melchiah took his leave shortly followed by Zephon, Rahab showed his Sire the library, pulling books from shelves in an effort to find his favorite which he was determined was housed here. Raziel watched amused as Rahab usually so demure became more enthusiastic than he had in many a long year. It was entertaining to watch. Eventually the book was found and Rahab took to reading passages. Dumah snored on one of the larger couches while the others listened to Rahab. Raziel fell asleep next to his Sire thinking again that Janos and Melchiah could be right. 

Raziel awoke suddenly the following afternoon. The first thing he noticed was that his pillow was gone, Kain had left him sleeping. The second thing he noticed was that his back was killing him from a day spent sleeping half curled up on a damned couch. Despite his contentment of drifting off while leaning comfortably on his Sire’s shoulder his body was still going to protest. The final thing he noticed was that Kain and Vorador were trying to kill each other. 

“NO!” Kain yelled loud enough to make the glass in the windows shake. Raziel winced half expecting to see cracks in the glass. 

“Why not?” Vorador yelled back, not quite as loud but still impressive even by vampiric standards. 

“Because.” Kain huffed, his throat too raw to continue the yelling just yet. 

“Why not?” Vorador asked again getting desperate. His voice almost pleading but too angry to be truly begging. 

“Because.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because.” 

“I hate to interrupt your heated and if I dare say sophisticated debate but we will have to leave soon,” Janos stuck his head around the door.

Confused Raziel clambered from the couch and edged around the room to Rahab who was quiet contentedly watching the argument from his chair on the other side of the room. Sitting on the arm of the chair Raziel glanced at Rahab, then back at Kain and Vorador who were currently stomping around beside the window yelling at each other as if contesting who had the loudest voice. 

“Vorador came in about half an hour ago,” Rahab explained “they’ve been at it since then. I’m amazed you have only just woken.” Vorador was currently following Kain around the room still yelling while the fledgling stormed in circles. “He didn’t like being woken up.” Rahab grinned. “Seemed quite comfortable with you slumped like a sack of potatoes over him.” 

“I wasn’t slumping,” Raziel grumbled.

“Drooling as well,” Rahab grinned. 

“NO! VORADOR!!” Janos edged into the room and managed to get across to them without interrupting the argument. 

“They will have to reach a conclusion very soon,” he mused. 

“What are they fighting about?” Raziel asked. 

“Someone sent word to the Guardians,” Rahab said not looking at anyone “they sent a messenger today stating they wanted to meet him. They are arranging some kind of gathering at the pillars.” 

“Someone,” Raziel repeated grinding his teeth. 

“Someone else must have put the idea in his head that the Guardians are a bad idea,” Janos grumbled glaring at Raziel as Raziel glared at him. 

“WHY NOT!” 

“Maybe someone did,” Raziel huffed “rightly so I think.”

“Raziel!” Janos growled “you fool! You’re corrupting a relationship that is necessary!” 

“Don’t growl at him! He can corrupt what he likes,” Kain snapped from across the room then turned back to Vorador “I said NO!” 

“How can he have two conversations?” Janos mused anger fading being replaced by confusion. 

“Highly skilled,” Raziel muttered. 

“He did it a lot during the empire, growl at four of us at once for entirely different reasons,” Rahab explained, “he’s had a lot of practice even if he doesn’t remember it.” 

“You still haven’t said why you won’t go!” Vorador snarled through gritted teeth. The lower volume of his voice getting everyone’s attention far more effectively than the shouting had. Raziel got to his feet, he did not like that tone, or the way Vorador’s hands were shaking with frustration. 

“I have no desire to be paraded before anyone, let alone a group of near useless pretenders,” Kain snapped at Vorador looking like he was about to strike at the ancient, his arms also shaking in effort to hold back. 

“He’s got a point,” Raziel smiled. 

“He’s parroting your words!” Vorador snarled, “stop making it worse!” 

“He can make it worse if he wants to!” Kain shouted. Raziel almost laughed with delight, it was amusing to watch the childish bickering but it was wonderful to be defended by his Sire once again. Even if said defence sounded like a spoilt child not getting his way. 

“Argumentative isn’t he,” Janos breathed, Raziel nodded and smirked, “Raziel they aren’t going to judge him, or take him from the mansion,” Janos chided “they will simply talk to him. They just want to meet him. It is a great honour for them to be able to talk with him.” Raziel laughed but stopped suddenly when three vases exploded simultaneously, Kain was getting very angry. 

Raziel had never believed his Sire when he was young and Kain told him that he hadn’t always had control over his magic. Kain had told him that when he was a fledgling his magic had been too much for him to control and usually when his temper flared so did his magic. Raziel had never believed him. Kain had always been in perfect control when he had seen him. He had witnessed his Sire bending the magic inside him as easily as he lifted a sword. It had obeyed his every whim and like all circle members he could fire off numerous spells without breaking a sweat. Now apparently things were different. The large mirror above the fireplace started to wobble on its hooks and Vorador sighed. 

“Kain please,” Vorador said keeping his voice low “I like that mirror,” he placed a taloned hand on Kain’s shoulder and Raziel watched him wince as energy crackled across his skin. “They just want to talk to you,” a small crack appeared in the mirror but did not get any bigger as Kain sighed swallowing the magic as it reached out to wrap around Vorador. A small slash opened above the elders eye. Janos jerked and walked forwards, Raziel followed. Only Vorador seemed calm. “Just talk once, then you can ignore them all you want.” 

“There isn’t a way out of it?” Kain sighed. Vorador shook his head slowly as Kain reached forwards to wipe the blood away from the already healed slash. A bloody finger disappeared inside Kain’s mouth as he nodded. “Alright,” he conceded “let’s get this over with.” The tension in the air broke and the magic died. 

“We’ll wait for you in the front hall,” Vorador nodded and left, Janos following. 

“That was tense,” Rahab admitted when the elders had gone “I’ve never seen you do that before,” Kain shrugged.

“It is not something I try to do often,” he held up a hand, Raziel watched as a light formed between his fingers, the light condensed into a ball. “It has unpleasant and unintended consequences.” He flicked the ball of power towards one of the larger houseplants and Raziel and Rahab watched as the plant crumbled to dust. “As I said unpleasant.” 

“Your control improves with your age,” Raziel said softly. Rahab kicked him, knowing the rules for not sharing information with those who do not remember it themselves. Raziel glared at his brother before continuing “you are a force to be reckoned with. Those who tamper with it deserve the consequences.” 

“Raziel,” Rahab sighed “come they will be waiting.” 

Raziel glared hatefully at everyone as they walked down to the front hall where the group who would be attending were waiting to teleport to the pillars. This was not going to be pretty and he half hoped that the Guardians would say something, hoped they would anger his Sire so Kain could lash out and put them in their place. Despite his Sires youth he was still capable of great power and it would be enough to shock the Guardians. Besides if Kain lashed out it meant he could help and he wanted that very much. He glanced at his Sire walking beside him looking irritated and a little worried. As was becoming habit he reached out and laid a taloned hand on Kain’s shoulder. Kain glanced at him.

“You touch me a lot,” Kain said unexpectedly, Raziel jerked his hand back “I wasn’t complaining, simply stating a fact.” 

“Oh,” Raziel felt himself burn. 

“Very few have ever done so with me,” Kain smirked “casual touch is not something I seem to inspire. Even in those I am close to,” Raziel laughed. 

“Well I am not like everyone else,” he breathed, the smile his Sire gave him in return made him burn again and he looked away. 

“Yes. I can see that,” Kain mused “you spoke a lot before of a future that happened a long time ago. Your details were somewhat hazy but I am not a fool.” 

“No,” Raziel agreed. 

“How long did we last?” Kain asked. Raziel glad his vampiric disposition made blushing really difficult, swallowed hard. 

“Near to a millennium,” he admitted. Kain raised his eyebrows. Raziel turned away as they approached the group waiting for them.

“Sire,” Melchiah greeted walking over, his head got rubbed in return, he tried to dodge away and tumbled into Zephon. 

“Raziel,” Dumah purred “are you alright brother, you seem somewhat stiff this morning.” he grinned widely and glanced at his Sire who ignored him. 

“I’m fine Dumah thank you for your kind concern,” Raziel hissed through clenched teeth. He did not need teasing on a day like today. 

“I would have thought you would be a little sore today, sleeping as you did,” Dumah smirked wider. Raziel rolled his eyes. 

“Your subtlety as always is a wonder to behold Dumah,” he praised. 

“Kain,” Vorador called across from the hall where a few of his own childe were gathering around him. Kain nodded and walked to the elder, his own childe following. 

“This is going to be awful,” Raziel muttered as Vorador pulled one group in close and Janos another. 

“It won’t be that bad” Melchiah smiled “you can be such a drama queen Raziel.” Raziel went to answer but was cut off by the surge in energy as Vorador teleported them out of the mansion and to the pillars. They teleported to an area close to the pillars and started walking the remaining distance. Vorador and Janos walked ahead a little way. Kain started to slow. 

“You needn’t worry,” Turel offered “the Guardians are pompous but that is pretty much all they are.” 

“I am not worried” Kain snapped “I am thinking,” Turel leaned back at the snap “from what I am told I was somewhat neglectful of my duties previously. I do not wish to do so again, yet I if what I am told is true these ‘Guardians’ will ask much of me.” 

“You should not always listen to Raziel. You may have noticed he hates the Guardians,” Turel grinned at his older brother as he spoke. 

“Hatred does not come without reason,” Kain said quietly. 

“Raziel hates them because they are not you,” Turel continued “it is unfair of him.” 

“Shut up Turel,” Raziel snarled. Turel laughed and stepped back as they entered the clearing which housed the pillars. Vorador having arrived before them was already in conversation with the new Guardians. 

“Did you bring him?” Mind was asking Vorador as he walked across the base of the pillars, wings gleaming in the sunlight, obviously recently treated with oils and perfumes. Raziel half wondered if the Guardian’s still took to the sky or remained land bound so as to not mess up their feathers. Vorador was standing on the grass surrounding the pillars. None could step onto the marble base when the Guardians were in residence. 

“I am here,” Kain answered walking up behind Vorador, also remaining on the grass. Mind and the other Guardian’s turned and stared for a few moments silently. Kain glared at Vorador who had promised that this type of staring would not occur, the emerald skinned vampire looked apologetic. 

“I thought you would be older, more evolved perhaps. Not quite so young,” Mind said eventually, Kain snorted.

“You are the Guardian of Mind?” Kain asked, the Guardian nodded “well I would expect one of your position to be able to look past skin,” Kain smirked and folded his arms across his chest “but if you cannot bring yourself to do so then I will take my leave,” Vorador rolled his eyes. 

“We did not call you here to argue with you, Kain,” Mind spoke calmly “you are one of us and it matters little what we say or think. This is the way the future has been written and so it shall be,” Kain raised his eyebrows at the passive answer. 

“I told you this would happen,” Raziel leaned over and spoke to Melchiah. 

“Fifty silver says he hits someone,” Turel leaned forward and whispered. 

“I am not deaf,” Kain turned to them looking displeased. The three looked down and Kain turned back to Mind “Why did you call me here?”

“We wish to meet you,” Mind said, Kain simply stared until Mind was forced to elaborate “we also have a dilemma left over from your actions years ago,” States stepped forwards and continued.

“Demons still roam our fair land. Clearly you did not finish your duty,” Raziel felt his teeth grind together in anger and saw Kain blink in surprise. Kain had not expected to be blamed for the actions of the Demons.

“You found yourself incapable of controlling a few rouge daemons?” Kain sneered “I was lead to believe that you were warriors. Your temples and tombs all celebrate your violence and power,” the look of disgust he received in return made the fledgling scion blink in confusion. 

“We had great warriors, but none have returned. We Guardians will not fight these Demons it is not our place,” States snapped. 

“Actually I think it is,” Kain would have continued but for Mind. 

“And nor is it yours Balance you shall not be the one to do this,” Mind spoke. Raziel raised his eyebrows, he had been certain they would lay this job at his Sire’s feet, “for you are a Guardian and this is not a worthy task for you despite it being your failing that brought them here,” Kain blinked, speechless. Had he not also been shocked Raziel would have commented on someone managing to render Kain without words. 

“You do not belong in battle Balance, you belong with us,” Dimension stepped forward “but we did not call you here to debate your duty.” She looked behind her at the pillars.

“Now that there are Nine of us we can call Fate and ask her guidance for the future,” Dimension spoke up, stepping backwards. 

“Why not just open the time stream?” Kain asked, the Guardian’s looked appalled “I am lead to believe it is a lot easier to understand than Fate.”

“The time stream is fragile and must not be tampered with!” Time spoke staying behind Dimension and Mind, almost as if cowering, “it is not our place to tamper with it!” 

“I am beginning to see why Raziel has become so frustrated with you. You are rather idle,” Kain sighed “at least your mortal Guardian’s got their hands dirty.” 

“We are the Guardians not the soldiers,” came the reply, Kain almost baulked as he saw that it was Conflict who gave this reply.

“Nonsense give you a stick and some rocks to throw and you’ll be well away,” Kain laughed “the Demons will be running for cover,” the Guardians looked to each other then to Kain and after a few moments of silence in which the Guardians seemed to have a staring contest with the scion they moved away. 

“That went well,” Raziel grinned. 

“Raziel be still!” Vorador snapped as Kain walked back to them. 

“They are a bit wet,” he muttered, “but I cannot see why you get so angry with them, I think they could be rather fun,” Kain sniggered “they certainly cower easily.”

“You’d get bored quickly,” Raziel shrugged “they don’t argue properly, they just stare and do what they want regardless.” Raziel turned to look at the Guardians who had after disregarding their conversational efforts had moved to their pillars. Each Guardian had taken position at the foot of their pillar and slowly called their magic to them. A few more moments went by in silence as the Guardian’s built up their power pitifully slowly. Kain started to fidget. 

“Is this a mime? Are they actually doing anything or is it theatre?” Kain asked Raziel snorted along with Vorador who tried to pretend he hadn’t.

“No,” Janos snapped, he had not been amused “it takes time, to build up a reasonable amount of magic, this is only the beginning.” 

“Not only do they refuse to fix the problem caused by their messing with the demonic worlds but they can’t even call up a mediocre amount of power between them,” Raziel breathed “come back Moebius all is forgiven,” Raziel whispered hoping no one heard him. Kain looked to his child strangely, “Moebius was a weedy old man,” Raziel explained “but he had more power in his fingernail than this lot. He held you and I at bay for thousands of years and destroyed the ancient vampire race. This lot couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag.” They watched for a further few minutes before it became painful.

“I suppose I should help,” Kain muttered and stepped up onto the marble. As Raziel had expected the symbols flared to life, burning with purifying flame, much like the Reaver had so long ago. The Guardian’s cried out in shock at the sudden outpouring of raw magical power. They stopped their calling and watched as Kain walked over to the Balance pillar and touched it setting it alight so the pillar to blazed as if made from white fire. 

“What are you doing,” Nature asked 

“I have other things to do today,” Kain snapped “I don’t want to be here all damn day.” The flame from the Balance pillar moved into those behind it alighting the pillars two by two until all nine were blazing. Nature slowly reached forwards and touched his own pillar with the tips of his talons, Kain smirked at his wonder. 

“You have power,” Nature whispered 

“But little direction,” Vorador walked up onto the marble base and stood beside Kain. Kain glared at him.

“Fear not,” Nature smiled softly “direction I have in abundance, I can guide your strength if you would allow me.” Kain continued to glare for a few moments, disliking having his shortcomings thrust in his face so. Eventually however he nodded and Nature smiled wider. “Thank you Scion.” The light around the pillars grew suddenly, no longer merely lighting the sky but blinding the earth and sky both. The light burned brighter than then sun and whiter than the moon and blinded all in the clearing but did not last long. When it cleared fate lay in the circle of the pillars. She blinked and stood, moving towards the edge of the circle to find she could not leave, she was bound as Arial had once been. 

“Why have you summoned me?” she asked at last, slowly Mind stepped up. 

“We wish for guidance,” he spoke clearly and slowly as if to a child. 

“I have given you the prophecy,” Fate answered “that is all the help I may give you.” 

“Could you re-word it then?” Raziel snapped stepping up beside his Sire and Vorador. The Guardian’s glared at him. Fate smiled at Raziel.

“I cannot reword it but I can make it clearer as far as I am allowed,” she took a few steps forwards.

“Please speak plainly,” Raziel asked looking frustrated. Fate’s smile widened at him and for a moment she was beautiful to him, for that single moment Raziel forgot why he hated her and wondered if there was a way to keep her. But the moment died and Raziel resurfaced in his own mind. 

“Acena is mad in his lust for power,” she began, “he is forcing me aside.”

“Who’s Acena,” Raziel interrupted, again he was glared at by the Guardian’s, Kain hissed at them quietly and surprisingly they backed down. 

“Acena is disorder,” Janos said softly, “Fate gives us purpose he robs us of it.”

“Acena is that which keeps me Balanced,” Fate corrected “he is chaos while I am order. He is destiny while I am fate.” She answered “one of us cannot exist without the other, but we must be Balanced to survive. By starving me of my purpose he is in effect killing us both and your world with us.” 

“He’s breaking the system, creating chaos where there was order. It is as he is supposed to do.” Kain muttered 

“And you must do as you should do Balance,” Fate turned and looked at Kain “we must be Balanced or all will end.”

“Since when is it my job to baby sit you,” Kain snapped earning a hiss from Mind.

“You are fated to do so,” Fate spoke to Kain, Kain’s expression fell “you have been reborn as the prophecy said, you have made the nine sing once more.” 

“You lie spirit,” Kain snapped anger clear in his voice

“I do not lie Balance. I cannot lie,” Fate came close to the edge of the circle and placed her hand on the barrier. “You have been called back by Nosgoth to keep it safe once again. You have no choice, you will save the land once again or it will perish. Non other can do this task. But you are not alone this time.” 

“Kain,” Vorador spoke quietly, Kain’s head snapped up and he glared then turned to walk away.

“Wait,” Fate called, Kain kept walking “Acena has touched you. He has placed something inside you. It is something I can remove,” Kain stopped and turned back “Acena has altered your mind Balance, you yourself are unBalanced as you were before. You cannot heal Nosgoth if you yourself are contaminated. This was shown to you before by your child.”

“My name isn’t Balance,” Kain snapped walking back towards the barrier and stepping over it like it was nothing more than stuffy air. He stood nose to nose with the spirit called Fate and snarled.

“Very well Kain,” Fate said and placing small hands on his shoulders reached up and kissed his forehead, then she was gone. 

“I’m getting really sick of this,” Raziel snapped after a few moments of awkward silence. 

“How dare you talk to the Fate!” Mind walked over to them “how dare you address her! She who gives us purpose! How dare you! how . . .,” he was interrupted as Kain walked through him, knocking him to the ground and snarling at him briefly.

“Kain,” Vorador called as Kain made to walk away. Kain turned to him his face frighteningly blank and without looking at any of them he spoke 

“I’m going back now,” he said simply before erupting in a fleet of silver winged bats that spiralled up skywards and flew towards the mansion. 

End Chapter

Thank you for reading, please review, I’d love to hear what you think of the fic. 

For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates as well as weekly blogs check out https : // katiemarie21 . wordpress . com 

I wrote a Book. A big one and a couple of little ones. Check them out here https : // katiemarie21 . wordpress . com / shop /

My first Novel, Grey Wings has now been released!

GREY WINGS

Jason is stranded in a dark city, and is in desperate need of help when he has no idea how he will get home.

So, when he collides with Aurelius, an Angel only in the mildest sense of the word – who has committed a crime worthy of great punishment, but has been handed a rare chance at redemption – Jason can see a way home.

However, their journey will be hampered by Fallen Angels, Earth Spirits, and Griffons – and none can say if everyone will make it home.


	3. Chapter Three

Creation  
Book One: The Balance of Life and Death  
Disclaimer: Legacy of Kain belongs to Edios and Crystal Dynamics not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Vorador then he’d be mine. Warning: this fic eventually contains YAOI (GuyXGuy) and a lemon; if this offends or upsets you do not read this, it that simple.   
Rating: NC-17  
Pairing: Raziel/Kain  
Setting: post all games   
Summery: The Wars are over, Nosgoth has been saved. But a newer or perhaps older enemy rears its head.  
Italics mean either flashbacks or thoughts  
* \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ *  
Chapter Three  
They returned to the mansion slowly, Raziel more worried than he had been in a while. He didn’t trust fate and knew that her ‘gifts’ where often double edged. What had she done to his father? Kain had looked so shaken when he had left, it was impossible not to worry. They left the pillars clearing shortly after Kain had, although they remained on the ground and on foot, their pace much slower than his fathers. No one said anything as they walked; the tension in the air was thick. Raziel nodded at Melchiah as his younger brother fell into step beside him; Melchiah managed a weak smile that lasted seconds before it faded and he looking to his feet as they walked. Raziel went back to brooding. Kain had looked sick when he left them to return to the mansion, paler than Raziel had ever seen him before. His hands had been trembling, and his voice had shaken when he spoke.   
“What could she have done to him?” he breathed as they reached the swamp. Janos and Vorador looked at him sharply, both of them frowning.   
“Is it not obvious?” Janos spoke, Raziel looked at him feeling lost. He had not felt this lost in such a long time, it made him sick to think that after all he’d been through he was still so very clueless.   
“She gave him back his memory,” Vorador spoke “I told you something was wrong with him. There was a block in his mind, Fate may have removed it.”   
“So father will remember all?” Melchiah asked. Raziel felt his stomach freeze. Since Kain had woken he had wanted nothing more than for him to remember him. But now that it might be a reality he realized that there was going to be a lot more to Kain’s memory than just he and his brothers in the time of the clans. There was going to be an awful lot more. Raziel cursed loudly drawing odd looks. Kain had just started to seem comfortable amongst them and Raziel had been enjoying it, he had even felt hopeful that he had been given a second chance at a relationship with his father and he had been determined not to mess it up this time. But if what Vorador said was true and Kain could recall everything then that chance was gone. Kain would remember how they had fallen apart, he would remember the anger between them and he would remember the violence. Raziel looked at his talons and saw blood and Janos’ heart.   
“Maybe not,” Vorador’s words snapped Raziel out of his musings. “Maybe it will be gradual, maybe not all will return. I do not know.” They walked forward at a slightly faster pace now although progress was still slow. The swamp was as difficult to traverse as it had been the night after the rains.   
“You look distressed,” Janos nudged Raziel “Isn’t this what you wanted?”   
“My father once told me I never knew what I wanted or that I often wanted the wrong thing. I think now that he was right,” Raziel swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. The swamp was passing them by far too quickly for Raziel’s tastes. His fear of Kain’s reactions destroying the worry he had felt. He no longer wanted to run back to the mansion. He tried to slow his pace and Melchiah walked into his back.  
“I was under the impression that when you to parted things were amicable,” Janos said softly, Raziel shrugged and fell silent. Things had ended amicably he supposed but they had also ended quickly and then after the ending had come the guilt. It was a guilt that had not gone away, Raziel stopped at that thought and revised it, last night had been the first night in years that he had lost that feeling of guilt. The mansion loomed before them and Raziel felt sick. Melchiah noticed his brother’s slowing footsteps and nudged him forward.   
“Raziel,” He pressed “cowardice does not become you, especially when you have so little to fear.”   
“So little,” Raziel growled softly “you were not there Melchiah there was nothing little about any of it.”   
“Be that as it may, you do him and yourself, a disservice if you run away now.” Melchiah always knew what to say and Raziel felt his fear beaten back by Melchiah’s words. He was no coward to run when afraid. Vorador opened the door to the mansion and Raziel winced as the heat hit him, he almost turned and fled again but Melchiah’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. He walked into the mansion behind Janos and Vorador, hiding behind them although he would never admit it. Vorador paused in the doorway and sniffed at the air. Raziel flinched at the magic he felt come from the elder, Vorador was searching his home.   
“He’s in the war room,” Vorador said after a moment and started forwards. Raziel swallowed and continued to follow.  
The war room was a grand name for something that was little more than a small museum. Vorador had filled the diminutive room with ancient blades and armor. A mammoth map of Nosgoth was framed on the wall; Raziel had once looked closely at it and had noticed a multitude of little holes covering it. When he had asked why it was in such poor condition Vorador had explained that it had been well used to plan the vampire’s assault across Nosgoth.   
“Why would he be up there?” Melchiah asked. Raziel frowned, now that it was mentioned it was an odd place for Kain to be.   
“I have no idea,” He said quietly.  
“Let us go and ask him then,” Vorador sounded more amused than concerned and his taloned hand gripped Raziel’s shoulder hard when the younger vampire made a move to walk. They were swallowed in the light of Vorador’s teleportation spell and reappeared outside the door. “Melchiah is right,” Vorador said when the spell faded “Fear is unbecoming and hardly needed.”   
“I’m not afraid,” Raziel growled, Vorador raised an eyebrow.   
“You smell terrified,” He said and opened the door. Entering the cluttered room Raziel saw that his father had taken the map down from the wall. His removal had clearly been rough as the frame was broken, the map was torn and two corners were still on the wall. Kain was leaning over it writing frantic notes on a lose pad he’d found. Pins littered the table.   
“Kain?” Vorador asked gently, Kain paused for a moment in his scribbling and looked up. Physically he looked no different than he had when Raziel had woken this afternoon. But something in him had changed. Raziel stared at him as Kain stared at Vorador.   
“What did she do you?” Raziel asked before Vorador could say anything, Kain jerked towards him and blinked. H was silent for a long moment before speaking.   
“Nothing important,” He said smoothly and looked back down at the paper before growling and crumpling it into a ball. Kain sat still for a moment before writing something else down, a dangerous little smirk appeared on his mouth and his hand sped up.  
“Kain,” Vorador pressed taking a tentative step forwards.   
“Back off Vorador,” Kain snapped but Vorador did not back down, he sighed heavily and looked firm, the tentative attitude gone replaced by his usual iron will.  
“Kain this isn’t right, stop this,” he growled   
“You heard her,” Kain raised his voice, “this is what I am for.” Angrily Kain tore up the new piece of paper, hurling in the rough direction of a bin already piled high with wrong ideas. “Like any tool.”  
“What you are for?” Janos came into the room having walked up from the entrance, Melchiah at his heal. “Nonsense child, a destiny is a grand thing to have but it is not the be all and end all of self.”   
“Coming from you that is rich Audron,” Kain snarled “you seemed to define yourself though destiny and prophecy.”   
“Kain.” Vorador snapped.   
“You remember?” Raziel interrupted before Vorador and Kain turned to violence. Once again Kain froze and looked at Raziel, he blinked and frowned. Again he was quiet for a long moment before speaking.  
“Something’s yes,” he admitted, Raziel opened his mouth to speak but Janos beat him to it changing the subject.   
“What are you trying to do?” the ancient asked seemingly unruffled by Kain’s earlier growling. Kain didn’t answer and just looked at his childe, his expression changing ever so slightly. “Kain,” Janos pressed.  
“She said balance had been disrupted,” Kain muttered finally looking away “I want to know where.”   
“What?” Vorador snapped still annoyed.   
“Balance doesn’t disrupt itself, and despite what you may think disrupting it is a damn hard thing to do. It takes a large power to truly upset balance. Power leaves ripples, like pebbles thrown into a stream,” Kain looked back down at the map “I want to know exactly where things have been going wrong more than can be natural.”   
“Alright,” Janos sat tentatively next to him “I understand what you are asking but what will this achieve? We know balance had once more been upset, Chaos is pushing his limits, of course there will be more ‘chaotic’ occurrences.”   
“All ripples have a starting point. If I can find the ripples I can find where they originate from,” Kain glared at the ancient, Raziel smirked Kain had always hated explaining himself.   
“So what if we find the point of origin what will it achieve?” Vorador snapped sitting on the edge of the table and crinkling the ancient map.  
“If Chaos is drawing energy from here we need to stop it. Chaos will feed of imbalance. I imagine to feed something as elemental as this creature the imbalance must be large, if we can find it and put a stop to it then we will hopefully solve our problem.” Vorador sat still for a moment thinking this over, after a while he sighed unable to find an argument against what Kain was proposing.  
“You make it sound so simple,” Melchiah whispered, Kain looked at him and smirked.   
“Things often look simple on paper. But wait, it will be out of hand before you know where you are.”  
“Optimistic,” Raziel swallowed, his father was starting to sound like he had before he had cast him into the abyss. The fledgling naiveté was gone; his mind no longer matched his body. Kain looked at him again his smirk gone instantly. Raziel burned under his gaze.   
“Alright,” Vorador sighed drawing attention back to himself. “But how do we find the little imbalances.”   
“Send out messengers,” Kain looked back at the map, Vorador nodded and stood once again. The power of the whisper crackled through him and after a few moments Umah stuck her head around the door.  
“Sire?” she asked.  
“Umah,” Vorador smiled pride evident in his smile; Raziel couldn’t help but smile a little despite his worry. “I have a job for you,” the young woman nodded.  
“Yes Sire,” She stood in the doorway eyes remaining fixed on Vorador.   
“Send out all the messengers, we need to know what has been going wrong in Nosgoth,” Vorador explained, Umah frowned.  
“But nothing is wrong in Nosgoth.”   
“Much is wrong with Nosgoth,” Kain muttered not looking up from the map. “It is natural for there to be wrong in Nosgoth.” He rolled his eyes “Does no one understand the concept of balance at all?”   
“Then what am I to look for?” Umah asked irritated.  
“At the moment I am unsure,” Kain looked up at her tone “anything that has happened that should not have. Demon sightings are the most obvious but a rise in violence or sickness could also be relevant.” Umah nodded bowed her head to her sire and left to round up her siblings. Vorador watched her leave then looked to Kain who had looked back to the map his eyes bloodshot and bleary.   
“Go get some sleep,” Vorador walked to Kain and pushed him out of his chair, “my word I will call you if we get any news back but I don’t expect to in the next night or so.”   
“I look that bad,” Kain asked as he was ushered toward the doorway, Vorador nodded.   
“Yes you do and I dislike you taking it out on my fledglings. Go sleep, and stop thinking.” And with that Vorador pushed Kain out into the corridor where Melchiah was waiting and closed the door. Raziel listened as his father grumbled but allowed himself to be led away by Melchiah. Kain had always had a soft spot for his youngest.   
“He looked upset,” Janos said quietly when the hallways were silent.   
“This is the same reaction he had last time,” Vorador sat down heavily and rubbed his temples, “he was angry when he thought his only purpose in life was to die to heal the pillars.”  
“Wouldn’t you be?” Raziel asked   
“But death is not called for this time,” Janos frowned. Raziel rolled his eyes, for someone so old and wise Janos could be a little dense sometimes.   
“He worries that he is not real,” Raziel tried to explain but the confused looks he got showed him he was making a mess of things. “He feels he is not a person but rather something made for a specific purpose. He thinks he is not a person but a thing in the guise of a person.”   
“That is foolish,” Janos snorted “Having a destiny or a purpose in life does not detract from him as a person. He is still as ‘real’ as anyone else.”   
“I’ve been telling him that since the day I was born,” Raziel opened the door; he looked back at the two in the room. “How much do you think he remembers?” Vorador shrugged.  
“I cannot say, but I do not think it is everything. Two thousand or more years of life cannot be remembered all at once without driving the mind to madness.”  
“Kain is not mad.” Raziel said firmly, Vorador held up his hands.  
“I know, he did not seem mad to me either which is why I think his memory’s return will be gradual if it all comes back,” Vorador pressed “but if you are so worried go and speak with him.” Raziel nodded forcing his chest to loosen.   
“I think I will have to,” he walked out of the room and closed the door.   
He walked down the hallway and tried not to think. It was difficult but not impossible; he focused on the card game they had played last night. It had been amusing to discover that his father knew how to cheat at cards; it was not something he would have expected him to know. It had been nice to watch his brother’s fight for attention as they always had, he wondered if they would still do so now that Kain was becoming what he had been. He hoped they would, it had always been an amusement to watch them fight for what he had, all the while knowing they could never take it from him. Except perhaps Melchiah. He wondered what Melchiah would be talking with Kain about now. Kain had always had a soft spot for Melchiah and they had often spoken about things that Raziel had not been brave enough to approach. No doubt Melchiah would be able to ask Kain what he remembered. Raziel thought for a moment that he could always ask Melchiah what Kain remembered. He could always ask Melchiah the questions he was to afraid to ask his father. Did the memories make him angry or was he upset by them? Did he feel the grief that had been on his face as Raziel surrendered himself to the blade or was he confused still? Raziel stopped halfway down the hallway and turned around as if to walk away.   
“I can talk to Melchiah in the morning,” he said quietly to himself. The anger that flared at his own thoughts made him turn back towards his father’s rooms. He was no coward to hide when there was something that required facing. He was not afraid of his father, he was not afraid of anything. Except that he was.   
He stopped outside the big dark-wood door and again almost turned away. But the anger at his own cowardice made him knock and walk in before being called. Melchiah sat on the bed next to his father but stood when Raziel entered. He smiled at both his father and brother before walking towards the door. He turned in the hallway and offered Raziel a hopeful look before closing the door. Raziel took a deep breath.   
“Your heart is hammering louder than I have ever heard it,” Kain’s voice was amused “I think.”   
“You think?” Raziel couldn’t look at him.   
“Yes I am not sure,”   
“It is not like you to admit ignorance,” Raziel hated himself for saying it the moment he had, he was not here to pick a fight. “Forgive me,” he breathed and forced himself to look up. Kain had come to his feet and stood a step away from the bed, Raziel found himself looking at his clothes; they were the same ones he had worn yesterday. It was strange that he had changed so much while he still looked the same. Everything bar his appearance had changed, his aura, the way he spoke, it was slower and well formed, and his movements were purposeful and deliberate whereas before they had been fast and rather careless. The simmering magic had gone to, swallowed under Kain’s now complete and iron control.   
“I forgive you,” Kain dipped his head slightly. Raziel clenched his jaw; the movement was so familiar to him that it made it impossible for him to think Kain did not remember everything.   
“How much do you know?” he said suddenly before he lost his nerve. The question came out harsh and accusing, it was unintended and apparently unexpected as Kain raised his eyebrows at it.   
“I fear I know little, there is much in my mind but I have yet to make sense of a good deal of it,” he admitted. Raziel frowned it was very unlike his father to admit such a weakness. Kain did not like to be thought of as dim witted. “But I think your question was more asking do I know you,” he smirked at Raziel’s blush “I know you my child, my first born.”  
“You knew that this morning,” Raziel heard himself say, Kain nodded.   
“Yes I suppose I did,” he sat back down and let his head rest in his hands “events themselves are something of a mystery to me still but I know I raised you, I needed you to become something more and so I destroyed you.” Kain fell silent after that.   
“You do not remember our merry chase after my destruction?” Raziel asked. Kain frowned at him and looked irritated.   
“My memory is fragments child but I am not a fool. We could not have played chase after your destruction.” Kain muttered. “Before perhaps, but I cannot imagine you running from me.”   
“You are like the others,” Raziel breathed quietly “your memories only run to my being cast aside.”   
“No,” Kain shook his head “I recall some of what happened after. The creature that came to avenge Nosgoth.” Raziel said nothing, his stomach clenched hard like a vise.   
“You remember him do you?” Raziel asked but Kain did not answer. Raziel sighed not sure how to proceed. Perhaps Vorador was right; let memories recover on their own. Forcing someone to remember something or in this case to understand their own memories could be more damaging than anything else. But he did not know how to act now, should he step back and leave Kain alone while he recovered or should he remain. What if he never understood or never recovered should he stay away for eternity? Raziel doubted he could do that. He walked to the bed and sat next to his father. Kain glanced at him and smiled a little before looking back at the floor. Frustration pooled in Raziel’s mind and gut alike, he was so close to a solution yet he was as blind to it as he had always been. What should he do?  
“I have a question for you,” Kain spoke suddenly surprising Raziel.  
“Ask it then,” Raziel prompted after he took a moment to collect his wits.   
“Why were you kind to me when I did not know myself?” Kain asked. Raziel blinked.   
“Do you know yourself now?” he asked, Kain glared at him  
“Do not answer my questions with more questions,” he snapped   
“Why should I not be kind to you?” Raziel asked then before Kain could bark at him he continued “I was not being charitable if that is what you mean. I treat you now as I always should have.” Kain listened and nodded once but his expression did not show understanding. His brow was furrowed and his eyes still blood shot. He looked confused and exhausted.   
“I used you, I condemned you to a fate much worse than my own,” Kain snorted suddenly “If that is what I do to those I love then I would really be worried if I were my enemy.” Raziel froze in place, every muscle tightening without thought or command. He had to take a moment to consciously unclench them.   
“What did you say?” he asked looking back at Kain who still looked exhausted and now embarrassed.   
“Nothing. Bugger off.” Kain snapped refusing to look at Raziel. Raziel laughed and once he had started it built and continued until Kain did look at him, not angry or embarrassed but concerned. It was not true laughter but hysteria. The sound was madness in decibels and Raziel could not stop it until Kain took him by his shoulders and shook him. “You are mad,” Kain snapped when the laughter started to die, Raziel looked at him and for a moment Kain feared the hysteria would build again and he would have to strike his child unconscious to stop it but the laughter did not return instead Raziel kissed him.   
“I am not mad,” Raziel pulled back almost as quickly as he had started “I am not mad,” he repeated.   
“You bloody well are,” Kain swallowed loudly making Raziel smile, he couldn’t think of anything else to say to that so he kissed his father again. Kain stiffened under his touch, not afraid but surprised. Raziel dug claws into Kain’s shoulders drawing beads of blood, at the small act of violence Kain relaxed. A feeling of familiarality coming over him. Raziel made a small happy sound and drew back.   
“I have been waiting to do that for fifty years,” Raziel breathed, Kain looked at him for a moment before speaking.   
“I don’t understand you,” he sighed “but I don’t think I ever have.”  
“Don’t strain yourself,” Raziel couldn’t seem to stop himself from grinning, he looked at his father who was slightly flushed with a muddled but willing aura coming off him and debated with himself the sense in listening to his suddenly very awake libido.   
“You are the one who seems to be straining,” Kain smirked   
“You’re not helping,” Raziel grumbled “but I think Vorador might be right. You do look like Hell.” Kain looked affronted “Sleep would be the wiser course right now,” the fact that Kain only smirked proved to Raziel that he was right in his decision despite how much his dick said otherwise.   
“I do not think you will ever be wise Raziel,” Kain continued to smirk “cocky, certainly.”   
“You are not funny,” Raziel grumbled and made to stand. The action was difficult and somewhat embarrassing; his body’s reaction to his father was powerful and sudden. Kain looked smug, Raziel almost slapped him. It was easy to look smug when you hadn’t been celibate for the last fifty years.   
“I have no sense of humor,” Kain stretched and reclined back, still looking smug as he put himself on display. “Why are you leaving?”   
“Because if I stay you will still be exhausted when Vorador’s children return with news,” Raziel snapped. Kain laughed a pleased sound.   
“Confident,” he snorted when the laughter eased. Raziel glared and Kain expression softened, “you said you were not being kind to be charitable, so I am to believe your actions these last days were honest. Taking into account that YOU kissed me and your unsubtle reactions I can only conclude you want to come to my bed as you have always done.”   
“You remember that do you?” Raziel swallowed, Kain smirked again and Raziel couldn’t help but smile at the purely masculine expression.   
“I remember fragments from our time as Lords of Nosgoth, we were rarely bored,” Kain held out a hand “come.” He flexed his claws "now," he added in case Raziel was unclear.

"Demanding," Raziel muttered returning to the bed and taking Kain’s hand, allowing himself to be pulled.   
“I prefer commanding,” Kain corrected, drawing his childe to him. Raziel resisted for a moment and Kain released him looking exasperated. Raziel rolled his eyes at his father’s impatience and deliberately slowed his movements as he removed his clothes.   
“You prefer a lot of things,” Raziel said as he leaned down to undo the fastenings on Kain’s trousers.   
“And you don’t?” Kain lifted his hips in a moment of graciousness. Raziel smirked at him and discarded their clothing to the floor.   
“I simply know what I enjoy,” Raziel grinned “but I am not averse to letting others have their way occasionally, unlike you.”   
“Are you finished?” Kain reached for his child. Raziel allowed himself to be grabbed and pulled down into a kiss. It was calmer than he had expected and he closed his eyes to enjoy it. It was wonderful after so many years to be back in a position he had known so well. It had been so long ago since he had done this that it felt like another lifetime and the blood in his veins heated rapidly.   
“I will be soon,” he muttered slightly disappointed “you will not judge me harshly?” He yelped in surprise at the sudden roll that put Kain above him and looking superior.   
"I will not judge you Raziel," he murmured, running his hand down his child’s stomach “although my ego may swell.”   
“As long as it’s not the only thing,” Raziel hissed his eyes falling half shut as Kain’s hand wandered lower. Kain growled lightly at the comment and in punishment moved his hand higher up his child’s torso. His claws pressing harder than needed until with a deft movement they sliced through a nipple and drew blood. Raziel arched his back and keened as the blood was cleaned away quickly.   
“Disrespectful whelp,” Kain grumbled as Raziel squirmed. He shifted himself until he was sitting across his child’s thighs, enjoying the body beneath him. His child looked desperate and he did it well. Kain leaned down to kiss him again taking pleasure from the claws that pierced his back, restricting his movement, holding him exactly where Raziel wanted him. He bled only a little and it did not worry him until he tried to pull back and found he could not. He tried again and heard Raziel growl in response, his grip tightening. It was disconcerting to be held so firmly by one he was remembered being stronger than, his fragmented memories of previous encounters of this nature had all shown him easily over powering his child. But he had been stronger then, more evolved. Perhaps now things would have to be a little different.   
Kain won his freedom by letting his free hand wander down to his child’s groin. Raziel’s eyes widened and he whimpered as the touch played over his shaft. He moaned something unintelligible, his back arching, his grip loosening and his legs shifting restlessly despite his father’s weight on them. Kain firmed his touch and smiled when Raziel let go of him to dig his claws into the sheets. Straightening his back he looked down at his child struggling beneath him. That such a simple touch could bring him to wordless begging was gratifying and a hungry gleam darkened his golden eyes.   
“S… Stop,” Raziel managed through the maddening pleasure that was making him feel as if his skin was too small. Kain ignored his request and tightened his grip and sped his movement’s. Raziel shrieked, his body arching enough to lift Kain for a moment before he fell back. Breathing hard despite himself Kain leaned forwards pressing them both together, rubbing himself against his child as he sought to bring Raziel over the edge.   
“I will not stop,” He whispered when his mouth was level with Raziel’s shoulder, “come Raziel,” despite his earlier request Raziel nodded and tried to press himself into the weight above him and the hand still moving on his cock. The position was slightly awkward but it was wonderful and with a shout Raziel came hard, feeling years of pent up loneliness and longing leave him in wave after wave of release.   
It took him a while to realize he couldn’t breathe. He tried to push up but his body spasmed with an aftershock. Kain growled into his shoulder, hand still moving slowly and now much more smoothly on his cock. The vibration of Kain’s growl made him shiver despite just having his first non-self-inflicted orgasm in longer than he would like to admit. He was still hard and the slow smooth touch was pleasing now that he could appreciate it.   
“Thank you,” he said his throat dry “may I have another?” he’d meant it as a joke but the growl he received was hungry not amused. Kain snapped his head up, eyes almost black and struck with a speed Raziel had not expected. The teeth in his throat burned like molten steel for a second before the rush of endorphins took him completely off guard. The sound he made as Kain deepened his bite was pathetic but he didn’t care. The aftershocks of his orgasm coupled with the pleasure of the bite made his head spin. “Kain,” he managed after a moment, arms coming up from the sheets to grip his father’s shoulders. He wriggled trying to get comfortable and received another growl which he ignored. He continued to fidget until he had managed to get a leg out from under Kain. Kain shifted to allow him to free the other and Raziel smiled, lifting them and using them to hold his father’s hips. Using his grip he pulled Kain closer until they were touching fully and started moving slowly, rubbing them together. Kain crooned into the bite “you’re going to make me do all the work?” Raziel asked when Kain showed no signs of letting go or helping. Kain started moving to complement his child’s thrusts, “I don’t want to rub off on you,” Raziel managed, “I want you to fuck me.” Kain released his bite then and licked at the wounds he’d inflicted, still moving slowly.   
“Raziel,” he breathed.  
“The cabinet by the bed will be stocked, Vorador is an absolute pervert,” Raziel grinned, his neck throbbing in time with the rest of him. Kain blinked and reached across to fumble in the cabinet, it took far too long and Raziel was starting to think he should have left Kain at his throat but eventually Kain returned looking as frustrated as Raziel felt.   
“Obviously Vorador has more patience than I,” Kain muttered,  
“Oh, you can speak,” Raziel couldn’t resist a jibe “I was beginning to wonder,” Kain glared.  
“I could forgo this,” Kain waved the now open bottle at his child before settling himself back between Raziel’s legs. “It is easy to make light when you’ve already gotten yours.”   
“Hey!” Raziel snapped “I waited for ‘mine’ for 50 years,” Kain raised an eyebrow at him and tipped oil onto his fingers.   
“You expect me to believe that you have remained without pleasure for half a century?” Kain laughed and let slick fingers wander to his childe’s erection and trail down it, teasing. Raziel shuddered and nodded “Bullshit.” Kain’s hand cupped his childe’s testicles and squeezed gently before wandering lower.   
“I took no other to my bed,” Raziel tried to look sincere and not desperate. Kain let a finger circle the small opening he’d found, spreading oil before pressing inside. Raziel made a noise that made all the small hairs on Kain’s body stand to attention.   
“I did not say that,” Kain swallowed as he pushed a finger inside further before withdrawing it and pressing inside again.   
“Picky picky,” Raziel whined when a second digit was added to the invasion “Gods!” he gasped when those fingers paused for a moment and crooked just so as to brush his prostate. “Again. More.”   
“When was the last time you touched yourself?” Kain asked smirking knowing Raziel did not enjoy talk like this, he found it embarrassing. Kain had to admit that he often found it so himself, but tormenting his childe was one of his favorite ways to pass the time and this was delicious. “Tell me or I will stop doing this.”   
“Bastard!” Raziel growled, believing that Kain’s threat would unlikely be carried out. Kain pulled his fingers out and did not press back inside. “Bastard!” Raziel snapped again Kain looked smug “why does it matter?”   
“I am curious by nature,” Kain grinned hoping Raziel did not notice the shake in his voice, or that his hand was currently spreading what was left of the oil onto himself.   
“You are sadistic by nature,” Raziel growled, Kain said nothing. Raziel threw his head back feeling his cheeks flush with heat. He managed to hold onto his silence for a whole minute before breaking. “A week before you returned, I was in my rooms,” he gave in, remembering “I’d seen you in the hallways, it was not odd except for the fact that I could smell you. It was like you were right there with me. When I went back to my rooms I could still smell you.” He trailed off into a wordless growl, embarrassed by his admission. He closed his eyes and waited for the mocking rebuke that would surely come, but if it meant Kain would touch him now then it would be worth it. But no rebuke came, instead he felt his father’s weight over him, lighter than he ever remembered Kain being but still solid and real. He opened his eyes when he felt Kain move himself into position and stop.   
“I am pleased that you missed me,” Kain smiled, Raziel growled moving his legs to wrap around his father again.  
“Now,” he snarled, for once Kain did as he was told and pressed forwards “Yessss,” Raziel hissed trying to relax into the invasion. It had been so very long since he had felt this. It was different now, his father was lighter than he had been and younger but it was still wonderful. Kain stopped when felly sheathed and took a moment to breathe. Raziel purred, the pain was present, his preparation had been somewhat rushed but it didn’t matter, if he bled it would make it smoother when they moved in a moment.  
“Can I move you?” Kain said quietly, Raziel frowned but nodded. It was an odd question and made little sense until Kain sat back, still inside his childe and lifted Raziel's legs to his shoulders. He thrust forwards once and Raziel let out a groan as the pleasure coursed through him.   
“Move,” Raziel crooned but Kain ignored him. Raziel blinked up at him and on impulse clenched his muscles; Kain twitched and closed his eyes. “Move,” Raziel snapped again. Kain opened his eyes and shook his head, Raziel started to growl something offensive when he was taken off guard. His legs were pushed down and he was rolled until Kain was beneath him.   
“That’s it,” Kain breathed as Raziel took more of him than the previous positions had allowed. Kain shifted beneath him settling his hands on Raziel’s hips. The sudden movement had almost separated them and Raziel shuddered as he resettled himself, Kain almost touching his prostate. “Move,” Kain repeated his own instruction back at him and Raziel smiled. Putting his hands on his father’s chest he flexed his legs and drew himself up with help from supportive hands on his hips. He lowered himself shifting to find that angle that would be perfect. But Kain was impatient and bending his legs so his feet rested flat on the bed he thrust up hard. Raziel shivered and started moving faster.   
“Kain!” he yelped, pushing down violently when one wickedly accurate thrust hit his prostate. The bed made sounds of protest as their movements became more violent. Kain’s claws broke the skin at Raziel’s hips and blood made Kain’s grip tenuous. “Father,” Raziel breathed, his chest heaving “slower,” He panted, feeling his orgasm gathering. It was happening too fast, he wanted it to last longer this time, but Kain ignored him again and moved one blood covered hand to Raziel’s cock.   
“Now,” Kain snapped. Raziel shook his head and clenched as tight as he could manage. The rhythm broke and Kain shouted as the warm channel currently drawing him to the end suddenly tightened to the point of pain. It was intense and forced him to orgasm. Raziel crooned when he saw his father spasm beneath him, and wrapping his own hand around his father’s still on his cock he led him in a few rough, fast strokes that had him joining Kain in completion.   
“Cheat,” Kain managed when he was able, “low down cheat.”   
“You’re not the only one who’s a bastard,” Raziel smirked. With an effort he managed to sit up from where he had slumped. Trembling with the aftershock of orgasm it took him three attempts to free himself. In the end Kain helped, sliding a hand under his childe and lifting. Raziel fell to the side and stretched enjoying the feel of his body protesting. The bed was a mess, sheets were torn and bloodstained, but he doubted Vorador would be angry, it was a common occurrence in the mansion. Everyone was hard on the linen and upholstery. Raziel was slightly miffed that all the blood was his save from a few drops. His head was spinning with blood loss, but it was nothing that couldn’t be solved by rest and food.  
“I am not a bastard,” Kain yawned “I am diplomatically challenged.”   
“That’s one way to put it,” Raziel muttered moving closer to Kain and nuzzling at his shoulder, he kissed the skin there marveling at it’s fragility.   
“Again?” Kain asked sounding both interested and exhausted. He glanced at Raziel and realized what it was Raziel wanted and snorted. “If that is what you need,” he tilted his head back exposing his throat. Raziel made a small sound of pleasure before biting down. Kain tensed at the bite but relaxed quickly, the pleasure of the bite making him languid. He closed his eyes and let Raziel take back a little of what he had taken earlier. Raziel pulled back sooner than Kain had expected and he raised an eyebrow.   
“Sleep,” Raziel muttered, putting his head back onto Kain’s shoulder. Kain yawned again and pulled blankets over them.   
Raziel woke to an incessant sound. Someone was knocking loudly on the door.   
“G’way,” Kain’s voice came from under him and Raziel frowned. Opening his eyes he noticed they’d moved during the night. Kain was now sprawled on his front with Raziel half sprawled over his back. It was warm and familiar. Raziel grinned and leaned down to settle himself and return to sleep.   
“Kain,” Vorador’s voice came through the wood. The door opened and Vorador marched in and stopped. Raziel glared at him. Vorador took a moment to take in the clothing on the floor, the blood splattered bed and the reek of sex that filled the room. To his credit it only stopped him for a moment. “Ariel has come to see you,” he said. Kain tried to sit up but stopped when Raziel refused to move.   
“Ariel?” Kain asked voice muffled by pillows.   
“Yes, your predecessor. She has something which may help us. Get up,” Vorador snapped then paused and smirked “you might want to clean yourselves up a bit you look horrible,” he turned and walked out closing the door after him. Raziel could hear him sniggering.   
“Bastard,” Raziel growled. Kain made a noise of distress. “What?” Raziel blinked confused. Kain murmured something into the pillow and all Raziel caught was   
“…Fuck.”   
“What?” he asked.  
“Actually, we might have time,” Kain smirked half asleep at him when Raziel finally got off and he was able to roll onto his back.   
“Time?” Raziel asked only to be grabbed and pulled down into a kiss.   
“You’ve had two, therefore you owe me one,” Kain muttered smugly “I’m collecting,” he rolled them until he was above his child and ground down unmercifully, letting Raziel know exactly what he wanted. Raziel grinned, after so long alone it took very little encouragement for his body to jump to attention.  
“Collecting,” he repeated “with interest?”   
“Of course,” Kain muttered his mouth against his childe’s throat. He thrust down hard making Raziel’s back arch. There was a sudden louder knock at the door.   
“Now Kain!” Vorador shouted “I will come in and get you!”   
“Some days I really hate this place,” Raziel grumbled.   
Ariel was in one of the sitting rooms in the east wing which was fortunately far enough away from Kain’s rooms for Raziel to calm himself before he had to speak with company. He stopped outside the door for a moment to allow his father to catch him up. His hand reached for the door handle but was interrupted.  
“Wait,” Kain muttered leaning forwards and closing his mouth over Raziel’s.   
The kiss was unexpected and very pleasing. Raziel had forgotten how fond his father was of the gesture. He purred and leaned forward only to be pressed back with a thump against the wall as Kain pushed him hard. A sound of mild pain sounded in his throat but died when he felt his bones turn to jelly. Kain’s un-evolved form was definitely in Raziel’s good books as youth’s unbelievable stamina made itself very known.   
“Here?” he asked, the word muffled. Kain made a sound of agreement.   
“Eh hem,” The voice went unnoticed by either of the vampires, Raziel’s hand disappeared between them and Kain made an approving growl. “Excuse me gentlemen!” both vampires looked up at the shrill tone. “Before you consummate this against the wall would you spare us a few moments,” Ariel smiled sweetly and disappeared back inside the sitting room. Raziel blushed mortified and looked at Kain who seemed to be thinking this over. After a moment Kain shrugged and dragged his child into the room. Inside Vorador was smirking and Ariel was laughing, Raziel couldn’t look at either of them. Kain however had no such qualms and after a few minutes of embarrassed silence and staring at the floor from Raziel and ‘I’ve had sex’ grinning from Kain Ariel spoke.  
“We haven’t had a balance guardian since you died,” Ariel said still sniggering quietly, Kain smirked at her and was looking far to content for Raziel’s liking. “I took it upon myself to ‘fill in’ for you until another guardian was called. When your messenger arrived last night I had to come myself.”  
“Marvelous,” Kain muttered   
“Of course,” Ariel raised her eyebrows “I believe I have the answer to your problem,” she glanced at Raziel “for goodness sake Raziel stop staring at the floor. I lived with you two for a millennium; I’ve seen a lot more than some heavy petting.” Raziel froze for a moment as he took on board exactly what Ariel had just said. Before his brain fizzled once and gave up working completely.   
Ariel had been bound to the pillars, Kain’s. Throne. Room. Raziel felt faint and half wished for the elder god to reach up from death and wrap a slimy tentacle around him and pull him back to the spectral realm, Ariel had been in Kain’s throne room! She really had seen more than a bit of enthusiastic grouping. Raziel tried to count how much they had done on that damned chair and gave up when he ran out of fingers and toes.   
“Can you excuse me for a moment,” he said standing and leaving without waiting for an answer. The moment he closed the door he could hear his father sniggering quietly along with Ariel and Vorador.   
“You’ve embarrassed him,” Vorador snorted   
“Easily done,” Ariel shrugged and looked to Kain who was staring at the door with an expression akin to a child whose toy had just been taken from him. “Kain?” Ariel nudged, Kain looked to her and nodded.   
“A solution to our problem?” he asked, eyes wandering to the door.   
“Kain,” Ariel snapped “surely this is more important than your libido.” Kain glared at her for a moment before realizing that it was a pointless effort and sighing.   
“It is important but allow me some self indulgence,” he muttered “I’ve had so little of it over all.” Ariel looked unimpressed.   
“Well despite your unenthusiastic reaction, I have solved your problem. You wished to know about imbalance, I have been watching it for the last five years.”   
“Why?” Vorador asked shocked.  
“After I was granted life once more I did not wish to lose it or waste it like I did before. Nosgoth does not deserve to go through what it once did so with no other balance guardian I took it upon myself to make sure nothing like that would happen again.”   
“So you’ve kept a note of what?” Kain asked, finally focusing on the matter at hand. He was hopeful, Ariel as a previous balance guardian would understand what a true imbalance was rather than just a genuine misfortune. Her information could be worth gold-dust if accurate.   
“I noted everything to start with, I admit I was paranoid. But these last two years I’ve only noted what should not be. Demons sightings, that last minor plague and the unexplained discovery of salt-soil.”   
“Salt?” Kain asked Ariel shrugged  
“It’s what we are calling the land where things will not grow. It’s never happened before for more than a season but since the land was reborn small areas have withered and died.” She reached down onto the floor and lifted a large tomb. She handed it to Kain. “I have three more volumes at the circle home in Eden but this is the most recent and should show you a pattern if that is what you are looking for.”  
“It is indeed,” Kain flicked through the tomb, pages and pages of tiny handwritten dates and locations. “Vorador can you call several of your least foolish fledglings to go through this book and mark the map.” Vorador stood and with a snort at being ordered so flippantly took the book and left the room.   
“Before you do so,” Ariel sighed “I think you’ll find Avernus to be a point of interest.”   
“I suspected Avernus,” Kain sighed leaning back in his chair. “It is a weak point in the dimensions, but apparently it has already been checked.”   
“Checked for what?” Ariel asked, Kain shrugged   
“Demon activity I assume, it was done well before my return,” he explained. Ariel sighed.   
“If it was done by the guardians then I fear for us all,” she muttered, Kain snorted. “They are useless. I understand that the circle cannot be held by humans but I fail to see how these wimps are better equipped.” Kain laughed at her and nodded.   
“I met them recently,” he admitted “I was warned about them previously but I was surprised to see how poor they were. Yet I am equally surprised to see you and yours at all.”   
“We were granted life again but not our guardianship,” Ariel shrugged “most seem content with that, but I and Mortanius feel otherwise.”   
“I am not surprised at the necromancer but I am surprised at a few of the others and their complacency,” Kain admitted.   
“Azimuth and Moebius live in fear now,” Ariel sighed “the guardians tolerate them if they are silent but if they spoke out of turn they would be judged harshly.”  
“You do the guardian’s a disservice,” Janos said entering the room. Kain rolled his eyes. “Kain Raziel is somewhat distressed,” Janos explained “I think perhaps you are required elsewhere. Vorador has fledglings working on the map they should be done in hours go and sort your fledgling.”   
“Hours are enough time for what I have in mind I suppose,” Kain smirked and rose to his feet. He looked to Ariel. “You will remain?” he asked “I understand that before my fixing of things you knew me?”   
“Yes I did, but surely you know? Vorador said your memory was restored,” Ariel frowned.   
“Vorador says a lot of things. I have enough, but am interested in what I do not have. I would like to speak with you further.”   
“Then I will stay, but so you know you will be welcome amongst us in Eden,” Ariel smiled and shook her head “it may be awkward but you will be welcome.”   
“Awkward,” Kain muttered, Ariel smiled.   
“Coming face to face with ones murderer can be unsettling at first but I’m sure they will get over it.” Ariel turned to Janos as Kain left the room in search of Raziel. He found him unsurprisingly with his youngest brother on one of the balconies.   
“You realize running away only made it worse,” Kain muttered approaching from behind.   
“I did not run,” Raziel snapped “I adapted myself to the circumstance.”   
“Keep telling yourself that,” Kain smirked and looked to Melchiah “Ariel has taken a great deal of the work from us.”   
“Oh?” Melchiah raised an eyebrow.   
“She has been keeping records,” Kain laughed, “I think it is much like her to do so,” he sighed “she spoke of Moebius also, apparently he lives and is somewhat oppressed.”   
“The one useful thing the guardians have done,” Raziel grumbled still embarrassed. “Although considering who they are and who he is I believe he has oppressed himself.”   
“You feel pity?” Melchiah asked, Raziel snorted and Kain shrugged.   
“Not in a true sense no. Disappointment would be closer,” he explained, Melchiah frowned. “Moebius was a very old man who destroyed a race of creatures far mightier than himself. He was my enemy but he was somewhat respected. Hearing that he is now a down trodden little old man turns my stomach.”   
“You seemed to enjoy down treading him yourself,” Raziel grumbled. Kain smirked.  
“Yes well getting the upper hand on him was not an easy thing to accomplish and had to be enjoyed when it did happen,” Kain looked smug “his expression at death was something to be remembered, I’m actually rather irritated with myself for forgetting it.”   
“You remember Moebius’ death?” Raziel tensed. Kain grinned.  
“He told me I was to die. I pointed out that I had already done so. He seemed upset by his inability to frighten me,” Kain looked smug. Raziel felt himself relax when he realized Kain was not remembering Moebius’ true death and so was not remembering what occurred directly after either. Raziel still hadn’t figured out how to explain the ‘creature’ that had plagued Kain during his attempts to heal Nosgoth. It was something he knew he would want to do alone with his father, not on a balcony with others.   
“Cheerful,” Melchiah muttered “would you care for a rematch?” he asked suddenly “give me a chance to win something of what I lost back from you?” Raziel nearly laughed at Kain’s expression, it was clear to him that Kain had something quite different in mind as a way to kill time.   
“That sounds wonderful,” Raziel grinned at Melchiah enjoying the look of disappointment on his father’s face. Melchiah nodded and walked from the balcony to find his brothers. Kain glared at Raziel when his youngest had gone.   
“I did have other plans child,” he snapped.   
“Did you?” Raziel feigned ignorance and followed his brother, “well maybe later,” he laughed taking great joy in making Kain wait for once.   
“I’m glad you so amused,” Kain grumbled following “maybe there won’t be a later.”   
“I think there will,” Raziel couldn’t help but grin.   
It took three hours and six games for Vorador’s fledglings to make sense of Ariel’s notes and make marks on the map. Raziel took a great deal of pleasure during the games at tormenting his father. He tormented him until Kain had dug claws into Raziel’s hand that had been wandering uncomfortably high on Kain’s thigh. Pulling his bleeding hand back Raziel took the hint that enough was enough and stopped teasing. Not surprisingly Kain’s game improved remarkably from that point on. Umah found them at the end of the sixth game and called them to the war room. They walked slowly but upon arriving they saw the marked map and Kain’s analogy of ripples was clear as day.   
“Well at least this tells us were we’re going,” Vorador breathed.   
Ariel leaned forwards and placed another pin on the board before double checking it with her record, making small sounds of thought. She could easily have stopped inserting markers the pattern was clear; the rings around Avernus were obvious and unambiguous.   
The city of Avernus was still in ruins from the fire which had still ravaged it despite the world being remade. A few mortal builders had taken it upon themselves to restore the city but progress was slow and unweilding. Accidents happened daily and disease had wiped out much of the work force. Vampires refused to assist the build on account of it being a Hylden city once long ago. The markers branched off from Avernus in great rings spreading wider to the rest of Nosgoth, directly to villages and citadels. The Pillars remained ‘pin-free’ this relieved Kain, at least he wouldn’t be expected to heal them once again.   
“I cannot say I’m surprised,” Kain breathed “it is a weak spot after all.” Melchiah frowned at that and Kain elaborated “Avernus is where the Hylden broke through.”   
Raziel looked to the floor ashamed. Avernus was where he’d killed his brother Turel and his father. Turel had no memory of that time, like all of Kain’s children none remembered the time after Raziel was thrown into the Abyss. That memory was purely for Raziel and maybe one day Kain. Raziel was glad that his brothers did not remember his return, he was glad that there were some people who would only think of him as vampire Raziel and not the Reaver spirit. Turel was the only brother he had faltered in harming, but whether that was because of the influence the Hylden had on him or some form of brotherly love he did not know. For why would Turel who was his rival be shown his mercy when Melchiah whom he truly cared for was not, it made no sense, but then again he had gone after Melchiah first when his rage had been uncontrollable, his anger unrestrained. Once again Raziel felt gratitude that his brothers did not remember their demise.   
“It must be something to do with the dimensional magic.” Vorador’s words brought Raziel out of his musings “Avernus has been home the dimension guardians since I was young.” Kain shrugged   
“Maybe,” he sighed “now we need to know how this imbalance is being created.”   
“I may be able to give enlightenment on this,” Janos spoke holding up a book, Raziel recognized it as one of the ancient’s oldest surviving texts. “This text was written by Hylden.” Janos spat. “But it does contain some small semblance of truth.”  
“Why do you have it then?” Raziel asked and Janos looked ashamed   
“They wished to turn us to their way of seeing things, they knew that –he swallowed- God was not God but something else.” The ancient faltered and Vorador reached out to him but Janos shook his hand off. “This book tells us of what the Hylden thought of as Gods and of those who stand behind the Gods, those who are forces in nature.”   
“Janos,” Vorador breathed understanding how hard this was for the ancient to admit, for him to say aloud that the ancient vampires had been wrong to begin the war.   
“Gods can only exist with believers, they take power from belief, strength from faith” Janos began again “but it is also possible for non-God, creatures of enormous power to take a physical form through that same power, belief.”   
“What does this have to do with anything,” Melchiah asked   
“This text talks of the powers that are not gods but anthropomorphic personifications,” Raziel coughed loudly to cover up his snigger   
“Bless you,” he smiled, Janos glared.   
“We have already spoken to one lately, Fate,” Janos dipped his head and waited as if expecting a big reaction, he didn’t get one. “These powers need no believers to live and will be here as long as people have a fate, as long as people lust and as long as people dream, despair and die. But through worshipers they can take a physical immortal form.”   
“You think this Chaos creature is trying to take a physical form through belief?” Kain asked Janos nodded   
“But why would that create an imbalance?” Vorador asked.  
“Destruction as it is called in this book has always wished for a body, he is envious of those who possess a true form and can feel, sense, touch and lust. So yes I believe that he is trying to come through into our world and gain a physical form. An imbalance will provide him with a way through the walls were erected to banish the Hylden and it can be created by belief.”   
“Belief can create imbalance?” Raziel frowned   
“Father said it take a lot to create an imbalance,” Melchiah said   
“It does,” Ariel admitted “but a lot of people, even people without power if there is enough of them with enough focus could tip the scales enough to allow petty imbalances and those petty imbalances can build up, like water dripping into a glass. It will not happen fast but the glass will overflow.”   
“I do not understand,” Raziel shook his head. He held up a hand when Ariel went to continue “but I understand enough to know that mortal belief is apparently doing this. Mortals can be easily stopped.”   
“Mortals perhaps but this creature is not mortal,” Vorador snapped.   
“I’ve defeated so called immortal creatures before,” Kain said firmly. Vorador glared at him.   
“Really, you remember this do you? Do you remember how you did it? Do you remember what tool you had which you now lack?” Kain hissed loudly at the words and Vorador hissed right back. The two looked as if they would leap at each other and Ariel very wisely moved out of the way.  
“I did not think my abilities would be in question,” Kain hissed “least of all from you who witnessed the restoration.”  
“A restoration you don’t fully recall,” Vorador snarled “you cannot go barreling into this fool!” Kain clenched fledgling claws and looked ready to leap.  
“What you fought before was a daemon Kain,” Janos interrupted, bringing Kain’s attention to him although the fledgling’s eyes kept wandering to Vorador who was still hissing quietly until Janos glared at him “behave,” the ancient barked then turned to Kain. “You fought a powerful and manipulative daemon, and while Chaos is not a God it is one of the forces that cause the universe to function, you cannot kill it.”   
“What are we meant to do then, give it flowers and tell it to have a nice time?” Raziel snapped “Welcome to Nosgoth force of destruction, please use the bins provided.”   
“We don’t know,” Janos admitted, “we need to send it back and we need to keep it back,”   
“We should scout out the area first,” Melchiah spoke knowing it was better to keep Raziel and likely his father occupied rather than let him sit and fume over a problem. “We might find something that will help.”   
“There’s an idea,” Janos smiled understanding Melchiah’s motivation. “But Avernus is in constant danger of complete collapse. Please take others with you, should something go wrong.”  
“We should take Magnus,” Kain mumbled, his pride hurt. “He has a skill for things like this,” he glared at Vorador “that much I remember.” Raziel frowned. It had been hard enough dealing with Magnus when Kain was not here, dealing with him now might prove troublesome. But he was not a child he could manage.   
“I want to take Melchiah,” Raziel stated, his brother nodded. Raziel smiled, if he was going to have to survive Magnus he wanted back up.  
They took a carriage at Melchiah’s insistence. It was slower but they would arrive well rested and it would lengthen the journey and keep them busy for longer, although the youngest son of Kain did not say the last reason. Raziel decided he disliked carriages, being in a confined space with someone who, despite it being accidental, made you uncomfortable was not how he wished to spend a day. Kain however settled in as if he did this often and went to sleep. Raziel glared at him for a good while before giving up and looking to his brother and the man who if they had been born together would have been his rival.   
“What are we hoping to find?” Magnus asked after a few hours of uncomfortable silence. Raziel flinched at the words.   
“Evidence of a mass mortal gathering I think,” Melchiah smirked “It should not be too difficult I believe.”   
“Avernus was searched before,” Magnus muttered “It seems foolish to do so again.”   
“I did not search it,” Raziel growled “did you even bother to look in the catacombs?”   
“Of course,” Magnus shrugged not rising to the bait. “We found mortal remains and not a lot else.”   
“No chamber built to house demons?” Raziel asked smugly, Magnus shook his head. “Didn’t look very hard then did you.” A hand clipped him on the back of his head.   
“Play nice,” Kain grumbled, Raziel glared at him. “Avernus is a tricky place; it would not surprise me if they could not find access to its hidden depths without someone who was attuned to such things.”   
“Excuses,” Raziel grumbled   
“If you knew such things existed why did you not accompany us?” Magnus asked trying to phrase the question in such a way so as not to offend but finding it difficult. Raziel rolled his eyes and remained silent, Melchiah answered for him.   
“When you searched Avernus Raziel was in something of a disagreement with the guardians,” he explained “I think that was the time he threatened to pull wings off.”   
“It is something I know hurts a great deal,” Raziel muttered “and no less than they disserve.”   
“You have no wings,” Magnus muttered Raziel looked at him and sighed   
“No I don’t,” he nodded, settled himself down against his father and tried to sleep. “Not any more.”  
Avernus was in ruins. It was one of many cities still in ruins, the building work was fast but there is only so much mortal men best by constant disaster can handle and Avernus was low on the list to rebuild. Vampires rejected it on account of it being an old Hylden city and men were weak. Kain had a sneaking suspicion that once they had dealt with this problem Avernus would become higher on the list of priorities and the vampires would overcome their own distaste and turn Avernus into a fort. A great building to protect Nosgoth from the dimensional weakness. Absently he began to imagine what they could build maybe a labyrinth to stop anything that came through ever getting out? A tower with only one door at the panicle so anything to come through would fall to its death? Maybe the mortal circle could build it in the style of their buildings, so once inside the creature could wander forever and never find its way out, whenever it thought it was out it would just be further in.   
“Kain?” Raziel asked bringing his father out of his day dream as the carriage pulled up to the edge of the ruins. There was no possibly way it could go further; they would have to go on foot. Disembarking from the carriage Raziel looked around nearly all the roads were blocked, the ruins of once tall and proud buildings that were now collapsed burnt shells surrounded them. They would either have to climb, a lot, or take down the barricades by hand which would take forever with so few of them to lift and move the rubble. He contemplated rooftops, but this city hardly had any surviving rooftops, only the walls had survived the fire. He was thinking when a loud crash behind them made Raziel turn just in time to see his father kick down a fractured doorway.   
“What are you doing?” Magnus asked leaning into the ruined house peering after Kain, Raziel glared.  
“There are tunnels,” Kain explained looking at the walls as Raziel pushed Magnus out of the way and entered the small shell of a house. “All the great cities had tunnels in case of invasion,” he felt around the wall for a moment, knocking softly in places, before smiling and kicking hard, part of the wall fell down showing stairs; Kain grinned and lead the way down. The stairway was narrow and dark; the wooden steps creaked as they walked down and entered the first basement, which led nowhere. Magnus looked as if he would say something but a glare from Raziel stopped him and the vampire kept his own council. He followed when his father kicked another hole in the wall and stopped in the darkness.   
“Well whose bright idea was this then?” Kain snapped Raziel smirked, they had encountered the sewers of Avernus, the tunnels were still covered in shallow water from their days used as a sewer system.   
“Yours,” Magnus smirked “and I say we risk it anyway.”   
“You do?” Kain asked “off you go then,” he held out his arms indicating that Magnus should go forth alone. Magnus’ smirk grew in size and he leapt forwards landing on one of the few dry ledges before making his way forwards, jumping to another ledge when the need became clear.   
“Show off,” Raziel muttered, Kain turned to him and smiled obviously enjoying his envy. Raziel pulled a face at him and Kain shifted into a mist form and moved over the water. “Another bigger show off.” Raziel grumbled and with those words he and Melchiah followed the steps Magnus had already trodden.  
It amazed Raziel just how short the tunnels were in comparison to how long and winding the small streets above were. It took them half an hour to make their way leaping and shuffling through the underground network. They made their way forwards with surprising speed and after a short time Kain lead them up to the surface again.   
“We’re right by the cathedral,” Melchiah breathed “that’s really handy.”   
“It time of crisis the cathedral would be the best place to be,” Kain explained “it was strong and easy to defend with a way to call for help.” Melchiah looked sheepish at missing something so obvious and nodded. Avernus cathedral hadn’t burnt in the fire and was still whole if a little dirty. It looked out of place in the ravaged city. Magnus laughed as he walked in.  
“This was the place the demons came from,” he sniggered to himself looking at the angelic carvings.   
“Irony,” Raziel muttered.   
“It was a Hylden city,” Melchiah said softly. “Janos tells me it was. Apparently man came later to it and built on top of ruins. It isn’t surprising that the Hylden broke through in a place that had been home to them.”   
“Hylden,” Kain muttered absently lifting some dust from the earth and sniffing at it. “People have been down here recently.”   
“The worshipers?” Raziel asked  
“Probably,” Kain agreed.   
“I smell something,” Magnus admitted “but not enough people if what Vorador and Ariel were saying is true.”   
“Where are they?” Melchiah asked “this place is silent.”  
“Beneath us,” Raziel said firmly and walking to the side of the hall clambered up the wall.   
“They are under us so you go up?” Magnus muttered. Raziel hauled himself onto the raised walkway and glared at Magnus before walking to the end of the walkway to retrieve a book. There was nothing there.   
“There has to be something,” he muttered and jumped down “I don’t understand,” he looked to his father “There was a book last time, something to open the gateway.”  
“Perhaps it was lost in the fire?” Melchiah shrugged Raziel shook his head   
“Not this, it would have been protected,” he muttered “we need it to get down into the catacombs.”   
“The catacombs are down there,” Magnus pointed to a door to the left. Kain smirked at them.   
“He does not mean the catacombs; he is referring to the Hylden ruins beneath the cathedral,” he looked to Raziel “You worry too much,” he walked towards the altar “there is a weakness here.”   
“Maybe they are like Vorador,” Melchiah said softly, “he leaves keys and hidden entrances all over the mansion grounds.”   
“I doubt they’ve done that,” Raziel grumbled “there was a book previously that when placed on the altar would open a door way to the Hylden ruins.”   
“You think they had just one book?” Melchiah raised an eyebrow “Seriously one?”   
“It does sound foolish,” Magnus smirked “perhaps there is another.”  
“Perhaps it is not needed,” Kain called from the altar “perhaps all you need is…” he trailed off and smirked. A green smoke coiled around his hands. Raziel recognized dimension magic.   
“It’s beneath us not in another dimension,” he breathed. Kain rolled his eyes at him and pressed the magic in his hand to the altar. Raziel smiled when the magic caught and a doorway different to the one he had seen so long ago opened before them. His last portal to the underground ruins had been cold and small. This one was much larger and very green. It put Raziel in mind of Meridian.  
“Magic,” Magnus breathed.   
“A little yes,” Kain looked smug and walked with confidence through the doorway. Raziel followed and stepped out into a tunnel that was eerily familiar and unpleasant. “I’ve been here before,” Kain said quietly “more than once.”   
“You once told me your blade was down here,” Raziel took a deep breath and sneezed when dust shot up his nose.   
“This was not here before,” Magnus said stepping from the doorway.   
“It was,” Raziel answered him “it is well hidden.” He began down the tunnel, memories from his last trip down here causing him to be cautious. “There will be demons down here,” he said and watched Melchiah and Magnus tense. “This is where they come from.”   
“I still don’t understand if you knew this why did you not say so before,” Magnus grumbled. Raziel glared but said nothing. Magnus was right he should have thought of this sooner. But he had been so wrapped up in his grief and his own petty dislike of the guardians that he had not cared what was happening. Nosgoth could have fallen to wreck and ruin and he would not have cared and that would have been a waste.   
They continued down the tunnels. The smell of people was stronger down here despite the dust and smoke. It was dark lit only by a few torches and the heat was getting uncomfortable. Fortunately the darkness meant that the paintings on the walls were obscured. Raziel was grateful for that. A sound was growing in the dim light, low and threatening. It made Raziel’s stomach clench and he could see the tension in his companions. They came to a large doorway and stopped.   
“I don’t like this,” Melchiah breathed “Tthis place reeks of misery.”   
“I smell a lot of people,” Magnus swallowed, audible over the low sound. “And I hear them, we’ve found what we came for, we should leave before something goes awry.”   
“Nonsense,” Kain muttered “we came for information; I want to know what’s in there.”   
“You’re a fool,” Magnus snapped “I can tell you what’s in there and it will be the death of us if you open that door.”   
“Then I won’t open it,” Kain smirked and disappeared in a cloud of mist. Raziel watched as it slid through the cracks in the door and sighed. This was insane, Magnus was right; they had what they came for. They knew there were a great many people in the room, the room that had once imprisoned Turel. Kain was taking a foolish risk for no gain.   
“I have to get him,” he muttered, Melchiah grabbed his arm.   
“You stay where you are!” he snapped “do not open that door, Kain will be alright.”   
“Kain’s being a damned fool,” Magnus snapped again “we need to get away from this door.” He began to retreat into the shadows. “If they come out we will be seen,” he snapped when he saw Raziel’s glare.   
“You go and hide then!” he growled “I am not leaving him in there and I am not waiting here any longer.” He laid a hand on the door and jerked back. It was boiling hot to the touch, there was no way anything mortal would be able to open that door without injuring itself. The mortals within were trapped.   
“Raziel?” Melchiah asked  
“It’s scalding hot,” Raziel breathed “no man could open this,” he watched as the skin on his hands healed. “Even a vampire would struggle.” As he spoke mist started to seep through the door again, taking a few steps back Raziel gave Kain room to reform. “Well?” he asked when Kain stood in front of him again.   
“We are going to need numbers,” Kain said quietly as he started walking back up the tunnel briskly.   
“That’s what you learned?” Magnus snapped “I could have told you that without you going in there.”   
“What did you see?” Raziel asked feeling unsettled. Kain’s expression was familiar to him, it was his mask, carefully blank and he only wore it when he was either very angry or very worried.   
“There were hundreds.” Kain said ignoring Magnus. “Mindless creatures, held in thrall.” A look of disgust crossed his features. “They were eating each other.”   
“We can’t just kill them,” Melchiah said softly “Raziel said they were trapped. They are victims.”   
“They are already dead,” Kain said looking to his youngest. “It was eating them alive from within while they ate themselves from the outside. No doubt in a day or so it will have killed them all and will call more to it.”   
“But I thought it needed their belief,” Raziel frowned, Kain shook his head.   
“It was not feeding off their belief,” he snapped coming to the portal, “it was eating them. Now get through there before it realizes we are here.” He pushed his eldest through the portal. “Go!” he growled.   
The return to the mansion was much faster than the trip to Avernus had been. The horses pulling the carriage were exhausted when they reached the swamp. Raziel was irritated as were Melchiah and Magnus. Kain had fallen silent when they entered the carriage and had refused to talk on the subject. Magnus had tried to discuss things with Melchiah but the low growl from Kain had silence him. Apparently quiet was needed. Stepping into the mansion was like stepping into fresh air when Raziel jumped from the carriage. He smirked at his own thoughts fresh air was not something he had ever openly associated with the swamp before. He followed his father up to the war room where Vorador and Janos were waiting. Raziel listened in silence as Kain explained to the two elders what he had seen and felt sick. Rows upon rows of mortals, standing, crouching, dying but all speaking slowly. The living eating the dead, all clutched in thrall to whatever was trying to break through.   
“All those lives,” Janos breathed. “So many will die for this.”  
“Many have already died,” Vorador pressed “and more will if we do nothing.”   
“They are not there willingly,” Kain spoke softly “it can call them and it will keep them there until it needs more of them.”   
“Maybe Fate will return them,” Melchiah reached pout to touch the ancient vampire who smiled gratefully. Vorador stood next to Kain and snorted loudly.   
“How could something so innocent be raised by you?” he asked Kain who glared, but the glare didn’t last.   
“I have no clue,” Kain mumbled after a moment “how did someone as soft as Janos raise something as ravenous and bloodthirsty as you.”   
“Shut up Kain,” Vorador mumbled   
“We will have to get all of them,” Janos sighed looking to Kain. “Even twenty or so alone could keep him powerful enough to form a body.”  
“TWENTY!” Raziel snapped, shocked.   
“They would have to give a lot of energy, but it has already shown it has no qualms about killing its followers. So yes twenty could do it, they could form him a weak flimsy body, most likely he would wait to gather more but it is best if you get them all.”  
“We will,” Magnus answered. “Shall I send out word that we are to gather?” he asked Vorador who nodded.   
“Yes,” Vorador muttered “I would have preferred a fight but if a slaughter is what is needed then it is what must be done.”   
Raziel watched in silence as the elders continued to make their plans. It made him feel foolish to see them planning in such detail what would effectively be a slaughter. Perhaps planning it as if it were a war made them feel better. Kain soon grew weary of it and left but Raziel remained. He was not a coward and if this is what had to be done then he would face it. He would not hide from it. Nosgoth would not fall again because of his cowardice. Brave thoughts aside the elders soon grew weary of their plans and conversation changed, Vorador began discussing the new extension he wanted for the north wing and Janos indulged him, listening to his plans. Raziel excused himself and thought of retiring for the day. But walking along the hallways he realized he would not be able to sleep. Mass slaughter was not something he enjoyed, he had always taken a morbid pleasure from war but this would not be war. It would be sacrifice, a large sacrifice to save Nosgoth.   
“What if it’s already through?” Melchiah snapped him from his thoughts and he jumped.   
“Don’t hide in shadows!” he snapped, Melchiah did not look apologetic merely worried. “It’s not through Melchiah.”  
“But what if it is,” Melchiah pressed  
“If it was then it would not need those beneath the cathedral to feed itself.” Raziel reached out and cupped his brother’s face. “Go to sleep Melchiah we will have a long awful night to face in the next few days, you will need to be rested.” Melchiah nodded and walked away. Raziel sighed Melchiah was worrying for nothing he was sure, but what if he wasn’t? Raziel walked down towards his rooms, but stopped outside the door. He could smell his father; Kain had come past here but had not gone inside. Grateful for the distraction he followed the scent trail towards a window. Looking out he smiled when he saw Kain a little way off sitting on one of the lower rooftops. He clambered out the window and went to him. Kain glanced at him as he approached and offered a wave.   
“We attack as soon as all arrive back. Apparently Vorador has some fledgling’s out on another little fact finding mission,” Raziel spoke walking across the mansion rooftops towards where Kain had perched. “Are you worried?” he asked when his father made no reply to him.  
“No,” Kain shook his head.   
“Melchiah is, he fears that the creature could have already come through.” Raziel sat next to Kain and leaned on him. “I know he cannot be right but I find myself worrying also. How would we stop it if it was through already?”   
“If it has physical form them we kill it the way we would kill anything else,” Kain shrugged.   
“But it is a force of nature; surely something a little more … something would be needed.” Raziel sighed “I’m actually missing the Reaver.”   
“You miss my sword?” Kain asked incredulous “Odd child.”   
“Very odd,” Raziel agreed “but despite it all I would feel safer if you had it.” Kain shook his head and Raziel wondered if Kain remembered what the blade truly was. “Do you…?”  
“Hush child I’m trying to listen,” Kain interrupted absently. Raziel frowned. Kain was looking out at the pillars, the pillars looked to Raziel the same as always but Kain was starting to look distinctly worried which was in turn making Raziel nervous.   
“Is something wrong with the pillars?” he asked, Kain shook his head a little.  
“No,” Kain answered “but whatever it is it has been bothering me since we came up from Avernus.” he muttered. “It sounds like a call, I thought it was the creature but now I wonder?”  
“A call?” Raziel asked even more confused, for some reason the image of a running wolf filled his mind, a great white creature moving with purpose across snow and barren land. The image gave the fledgling pause made him think, it was like he had seen such a thing before but couldn’t remember where, maybe Fate had removed some of his memories to, that frightened him a little but he shook the thought from his mind and looked back to his father who glared hard at the pillars for a moment before sighing and looking away.  
"It is not music, but it is pleasing in a way I can't describe." Kain shrugged and tried to explain further. “Did you ever have the feeling you should be somewhere at a certain time.” Raziel shook his head “I have, I’ve had it all my life like someone whispering to me, telling me where to go. It led me to the tavern where I died, it led me to you and it led me here a few times.”   
“And you’re hearing it now?” Raziel asked   
“If hearing is the right word then yes,” Kain answered “Do you want to come?” he smiled and held out his hand.   
“Where?” Raziel asked going to his father and taking his hand.  
“The pillars,” Kain answered, Raziel paused and took his father’s hand and shouted as they tumbled together off the building. Kain laughed and erupted into bats wrapping the magic around his childe and taking him with him into the flight form. It was perhaps the most peculiar sensation Raziel had ever felt, he had half expected pain as his body broke apart and reshaped itself into a flock of the tiny creatures but there was no pain and no confusion or multiple vision. All the bats were looking in one direction and if he wished to look left then they did also and he kept his vision in one simple image. They flew in the direction of the pillars gently swaying as Kain tried to figure out exactly where they were going.   
The pillars were calling him, he was sure of it now, a slow and calming siren song that stopped him doing anything else other than listen and go to it. Kain had to physically remind himself that his child was there, if he forgot that now and Raziel broke away he would be lost. But the pillars were not far, just through the swamp, he smiled mentally as he felt his fledgling’s mind stir besides his own, testing the parameters of bat form and he half wondered if it had donned on Raziel that they were flying.   
The pillars reached up to the heavens and the first thing Raziel noticed was that they were glowing brightly before Kain had touched them. Yet this was a different light and somehow more menacing; they landed and he felt his body reform, testing his joints Raziel smirked finding everything back where it should be and turned to see his father emerge from the fine mist that often formed when shifting. Kain completely ignored him and walked right up to the balance pillar reaching out to touch it, as he did so the light flared but nothing else happened and after a moment Raziel watched as Kain leaned on the balance pillar, placing his forehead to the marble and whispered   
“What’s wrong, tell me,” As if he expected the pillar to talk back to him. Raziel shivered hoping that wasn’t going to happen again. He had thought he knew everything about the pillars, but they had never glowed before now and he was damn sure they had never spoken. The air crackled loudly as raw magical power flashed across the pillars running between them and just missing Kain. Something was very wrong Raziel could feel it; the magic in the air was dangerous. Absently he stepped up onto the marble base of the pillars and the light intensified three times over.   
“It’s you,” Kain spoke pulling back from his pillar and frowning."You are doing this, how?”   
“What did I do?” Raziel snapped, panicking, “I didn’t touch anything; I’m not a guardian,”   
“What did you do?” Kain snapped getting louder as the light grew brighter; a strong wind had picked up and blew loudly around the pillars. “They are taking something from you,” he calmed a little.  
“You can feel that?” Raziel asked Kain nodded and held out a hand, Raziel did not want to take it, memories of when Kain’s touch had pulled him into the blade stirred in his mind and he half thought the same might happen now; it was one thing being trapped within a sword but a stone structure? Swallowing his fear Raziel rationalized that Kain wouldn’t hurt him and thus through Kain the pillars couldn’t either and he took his father’s hand.   
Glyph power stirred in him at the contact, water and fire moving through him and down his arm along with stone and sound, Light and darkness joined and lashed. Raziel felt all of them merge inside his chest and for a moment he thought he would burst his ribcage. He heard himself cry out from the pressure and tried to stop. He could feel Kain’s hands on him and could hear him speaking but could not make out the words. The pressure built inside him and dropped him to his knees. Then when he thought he could take no more the pressure shifted, it moved from his chest into his shoulder. He thought it would force his arm from its socket but instead it continued to move through him. It ran down his arm and into his father and through Kain into the balance pillar. When it was gone and the ringing in his ears had stopped Raziel tried to stand. His legs shaking and breathing labored he could not do so. Instead he looked up at Kain who was looking bewildered and in pain. Whatever had passed from Raziel was moving through his father and into the pillar. It did not seem to take as long to go from Kain into the pillar thought and Kain drew back as the pillar glowed brighter the light collecting at the ring before moving like lightening through the air and into the central ring on the pillar base. The circular symbol at the base of the pillars began to glow brighter, its light drowning even the light of the pillars. Raziel shielded his eyes pressing his face against his Kain’s leg to shield himself.   
“You restored us; your life gives us life.” the balance pillar was glowing softly, brighter than the others and Raziel knew the voice was hers."We give you what you lost. We restore what was broken. But we will not claim the soul.”   
“The pillars are talking again!” Raziel yelled into Kain’s leg. “The damn pillars are talking again!”   
“Stay here,” Kain broke Raziel’s hold on him and walked away. For a moment Raziel wanted to curse at him but stopped himself when he saw that the light was coming from the circle at the center of the pillars. It was no longer blinding but looked almost like water.   
“Take it from us,” Kain walked to the light in the center of the marble base and on blind faith reached in.   
The flight back to the mansion was rushed and twice they almost crashed, Raziel lost everything he’d eaten in the last few nights and silently made a mental note to take back his ‘lost’ lunch from his father sometime soon. They approached the mansion at breakneck speed and didn’t slow as they rammed into a window shattering it with telekinetic power. Kain reformed in mid air with his childe and they fell ungracefully to the floor, the sound of the broken window brought Janos running from the central library which Vorador had built last season.   
“What on Nosgoth is wrong with you two?” Janos snapped looking at the small window they had broken. “Have you no respect?” He froze “Where did you get that?” he breathed pausing in his rant to stare at the Reaver blade sitting contently in Kain’s lap. “Raziel have you?” Janos began again but Raziel waved a hand silencing him.  
“I’m fine,” Raziel muttered feeling worse for wear. His stomach clenched again trying to empty itself despite having already done that. “It doesn’t feel the same.” He managed after a moment “I think the pillars changed it.” He looked to his father Kain was purring over the sword, he rolled his eyes. “You like it more than me don’t you!” Raziel snapped then rolled his eyes again. “Help, I’m jealous of a sword!” Kain sighed and put the blade down.  
“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY WINDOW!” the shout was Vorador as he entered the room, Kain smirked at him and held up the blade watching as Vorador’s jaw fell open. “It was destroyed, it faded when you died!” he looked to Kain. “How did this happen?”   
“The pillars have returned it to me,” Kain said simply “I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not.” He handed the blade to Vorador.  
“Is Raziel?” Vorador began looking grief stricken but was hit on the shoulder hard.  
“I’m over here!” Raziel snapped “if you paid attention.”   
“Raziel is not in the blade,” Vorador sounded relieved, Kain looked confused.   
“Why would Raziel be in the blade? That makes absolutely no sense Vorador.” He held a hand out to reclaim the sword.   
“You don’t remember,” Vorador sighed and looked to Raziel who glared and shook his head.   
“Remember,” Kain growled “prey tell what do I not remember now?”   
“Nothing of any consequence,” Raziel snapped “but why do you worry?”   
“You said yourself it was a formidable weapon; by returning it does that mean I will have need of it?” Kain sighed.   
“Well we are going to war tomorrow,” Vorador lifted an eyebrow, Kain glared  
“I could have used any sword for that, I’ve got my flame sword somewhere, but they gave me back the Reaver the most formidable weapon we have.” Vorador looked worried at that but Janos spoke distracting them.   
“Better to have it and not need it,” he breathed. Raziel snorted and walked to Vorador. He held out a hand, Vorador reluctantly gave up the blade he had carved himself to Raziel, who held it up. The feeling emanating from the blade was gone, the blade wasn’t alive anymore but there was still energy running through it, magic pulsed inside the blade but it no longer pulled at him. A sudden jolt made him let go as Kain telekinetically called the blade to him.  
“It doesn’t feel the same,” Kain muttered “it doesn’t vibrate the same,” he hefted the blade down in a swing and listened to the blade scream as it cut the air.   
“It is lacking something.” Raziel smirked “But it is still a sight to behold.”   
“Come.” Vorador sighed “We should retire to the war room, I have received word that we will be ready to head to Avernus the night after next, and we should make plans.”   
“Speak for yourself,” Raziel muttered but followed when Kain joined Vorador in the walk to the war room.   
The next few nights passed quickly. Raziel spent most of it practicing with his brothers; it had been a while since he had last fought with any real interest. He had often sparred with Melchiah over the last fifty years but his heart had never been in it, now that there was a purpose he felt his old interest start to return.   
“Raziel!” Melchiah snapped when Raziel caught him on the shoulder  
“You should guard better,” Raziel smirked but lowered his blade. Melchiah made a face.   
“You are cruel brother,” Turel came up behind Raziel and spoke softly “You are too hard on him.” Raziel scoffed  
“If I were to soft he would be at risk, at least this way he truly knows his limitations and will be less likely to take risks.”   
“This is to be a slaughter,” Turel lifted a weapon as Melchiah limped off to lick his bruises. “We will not be taking risks.”   
“It could be a trap,” Raziel voiced words he did not believe. “You do not know this?” Turel took a swing and Raziel blocked. They moved across the floor blocking and lunging at each other. A few soft blows landed but nothing to do real damage. After the fourth knock to his head Turel held up his hand.   
“You are impossible brother,” he conceded Raziel shrugged then winced; Turel had landed several blows and had done some minor damage.   
“I have had a lot of practice,” Raziel shrugged.   
“I doubt even Vorador could best you,” Turel dropped his blade and waited for his arm to heal enough before bending down to retrieve it.   
“I want to see Father smoosh you,” Melchiah grumbled bitterly from the sidelines. Raziel laughed   
“I’m not sure about that, Raziel grinned “last time we fought properly it wasn’t as one sided as you might expect.” Raziel pretended to preen and forcefully ignored the memories of the fight in Avernus.  
“I doubt Kain would fight you,” Turel muttered “he and Vorador have been hold up now for nights.” Raziel nodded. He had seen little of his father over the last few nights, Kain remained locked in the war room with Vorador and had little time for sparing.   
“Come.” Raziel walked to Melchiah and offered his hand “I’ll patch you up and we’ll see if Vorador has any of the ale left from Ushtenhiem.”   
“Wonderful idea.” Turel smirked and followed.   
The night soon came when they had to depart. It was one of the quietest advances Raziel had ever taken part in. usually an advance was full of adrenalin, small fights would break out on the way and many would make merry trying to force themselves to forget that they could die when the fighting began. But this advance was quiet; no one felt the need to fight or to force merriment on each other. No one felt threatened only uncomfortable. Everyone knew this would not be a true fight. Only Melchiah worried.   
“The Reaver was returned for a reason,” he snapped. “The pillars know something we don’t.”   
“Melchiah stop worrying,” Raziel grumbled. Avernus was fast approaching and this distasteful job was bad enough without Melchiah worrying them all. Shaking his head of such thoughts Raziel watched his father and couldn’t help but smile, Kain had quiet obviously missed leading an army. Mind you if you had lead three different armies you might miss it to, Raziel briefly remembered tale of when Kain had lead the army of the hope along with King Ottmar, then the vampire army which had fallen at Meridian and then the second vampire army which had successfully concurred all of Nosgoth. The third army, the one Raziel had helped him lead; Raziel smiled to himself remembering those days before the sanctuary had been finished, sleeping in tents in camp, crushed together in the frozen wastelands freezing to a near true death. Strange that those were his best memories.   
He watched now as Kain broke the army up, separating them into four groups, one group of sixty patrolled the city limits to catch those who would still have mind to flee the fight, another group of forty went to the rear of the cathedral and entered, the third group broke up and patrolled the tunnels and the final group went with him and Raziel into the main body of the cathedral. Memories of leading armies flooded Raziel’s mind and for a moment he wasn’t in Avernus he was in the barren lands of the future corrupted Nosgoth looking around the bloody battle field for his brothers and father. But then a clawed hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality and he glanced to his father. They had led their group down the still empty passageway towards the sacrificial chamber, the chamber which had once housed Turel. The sounds indicated that the worshipers were still inside.  
“Give the word,” Kain smirked at his child and Raziel shivered, he hesitated only briefly before giving the command to attack.   
It wasn’t a battle Raziel quickly realized, this was a slaughter. Watching as mortal after mortal fell to claws, fangs and swords. The smells of mortal blood filled the room, as many fell, but the mortals were fighting back, gathering what they could, using whatever magic they could call but it would not be enough.   
“They aren’t even fighting us, Raziel sighed walking to stand by his father who was leaning against a wall not doing anything, reaver turned down in his hand.   
“This is awful,” Melchiah came up to his father and Raziel, “this is not war,” Kain nodded,   
“It is good we did not bring Janos,” he admitted then sighed frustrated.  
Kain felt like he had just delivered the worst sucker punch in history, yet he had killed entire families before and not felt guilt; but that had been for food or for survival this was a massacre but a necessary massacre. Nosgoth’s survival depended on him eliminating this threat, these people were a real threat and he had to take them down before they became even more of a threat. Once Chaos had form it would be unstoppable. But still he felt like a coward attacking those who would not fight back.   
“MY LORD!” one of the mortals who had a mind clambered onto the pedestal “MY LORD RISE UP AND DEFEND YOUR SERVANTS!”   
“No Abdul,” the voice was like nails on glass “I will not, this is your battle, defend yourselves,”   
“What he means,” Kain said slowly coming up behind the man. “Is that he cannot defend you, he is powerless without form.” Kain’s words were flat; there was no anger, no hatred and no guilt, just a tired knowledge that this had to be done.   
“You!” the man stopped and frowned “you’re Kain, You’re the scion, and you saved Nosgoth why now do you destroy it!” Kain paused, blinking confused, this man did not understand that he was serving the one creature that could and would destroy all of Nosgoth, he almost groaned but found himself feeling to empty for even that.   
“You truly do not know that which you serve?” he asked, this was Moebius all over again, dull mortals confused and lead by ancient beings of power, although killing Moebius had been a lot more satisfying than this. With a sigh he struck the mortal fell on the reaver.   
“You cannot kill me,” the voice breathed “I am immortal in ways nothing else is, I am endless.”   
“Good for you,” Kain muttered, pulling the reaver from the mortal man. “Good for me to, for when I find a way to hurt you I will be glad that you cannot die! But you will wish that you could.”   
“Fool vampire I am beyond your reach,” the voice of chaos breathed, the voice made Kain shiver, this truly was a creature of destruction, there was no imbalance in this creature for there were no opposites within it, it was just destruction, nothing else. Briefly the scion wondered what it must be like to know what your purpose was so clearly, to always know your course of action the way this creature must.   
“For now,” Kain muttered after a moment “but know your food stocks are dead, you are beyond my reach but Nosgoth is beyond your reach.”  
“Yes my innocents are gone, but there will always be enough human fodder for me to keep my claws in this world,” the voice was much weaker now. Kain said nothing but turned back to watch the end of the massacre.   
It did not take long and the army slowly moved out of the chamber, there was no high spirits no feelings of elation just a quiet emptiness. Raziel walked with his father and youngest brother back towards the entrance to Avernus, blood covered the pathway as it rained down from the vampire’s weapons, cloths and bodies. It had been a bloodbath and one that no one had enjoyed. It was odd Raziel thought that surrounded by that much blood no one slipped into an animalistic frenzy, he himself had hardly noticed that there was any blood to busy being horrified by the amount of death caused. By the mortal leaders selfish desire to not inform his people of the vampire’s attack. They hadn’t even had weapons.  
“I am going to fly,” Kain breathed as they came out into the open air, for once glad to lose the smell of blood. “I have things to discuss with Vorador.”  
“I think I’m going to stay with the men,” Raziel answered “I need the air.” Kain nodded and Raziel and Melchiah watched as a cloud of silvery white bats launched into the night.   
The way home was long and took the best part of the night, but eventually he arrived home with Melchiah. The mansion seemed homely tonight, it gave Raziel pause, he had lived in the mansion for the past fifty years, since the restoration of the pillars but never before had it felt like home the way the sanctuary had or the way his clan holding had. He found it odd that after such an awful night he could walk into the courtyard and feel his spirit lift the way it had when he entered the sanctuary.   
“Raziel?” Melchiah asked as the elder brother stopped and looked up at the building.  
“Sorry,” Raziel apologized “it’s just for the first time it feels like I’ve come home.” Melchiah smiled and nodded knowingly.   
“For some,” the youngest of Kain’s sons breathed “home is a place, for others a time, some find home where ever they go, for it is where they are happy.” Melchiah smirked “but for you I think home is a person.”   
“Since when did you become so worldly?” Raziel teased feeling his spirits rise.  
“I’ve always been this amazing you just have never appreciated me,” Melchiah smirked and opened the door for his brother. They walked together through the mansion following the sounds and smells they knew so well until they were led to one of Vorador’s private parlors, in which they heard voices. Without knocking they entered.   
“We are keeping that thing alive,” Kain sighed. “Unless we kill every living thing in Nosgoth it will continue to live,”   
“Yes it is needed, but as long as it is kept in check things will be as they should,” Janos smiled   
“Others will be called,” Raziel said slowly “Others will need to be killed,”   
“No,” Magnus whispered “We will find a way to silence him.” Magnus was bloody, and pale. Shaken by the massacre.   
“We have to build something,” Kain muttered going back to his own old idea “Nothing grand to draw attention but something, we need something that will prevent it reaching out to us.”  
“Janos,” Raziel said “you once told me the pillars were a lock; the binding is what keep the Hylden out can it keep this creature out also?”   
“We cannot build more pillars Raziel.” Janos sighed “It’s not possible.”  
“Not overly subtle either.” Kain smirked at his child “We need something simple.”  
“I wasn’t suggesting you build pillars.” Raziel answered “But the magic you gave them to make them a lock, can we do that to another edifice.”   
“No one has that much power,” Janos sighed but a sound from Kain made them turn   
“I’d like to argue that point,” Kain smirked. “I think Raziel might have something there.” Raziel smiled at the praise and settled himself in for a long night.   
A strong feeling of rightness settled in him and Raziel smiled as he watched the bickering. This was how his life was meant to have been, he had a home now and people to share it with. It wasn’t perfect but it was not meant to be. It was right and he doubted he could ever feel happier than he did now, despite the blood on his hands and the tasks ahead of him.   
“How about a statue?” he asked and dodged the paperweight his father hurled at him. 

END  
Thank you for reading, please review, I’d love to hear what you think of the fic. 

For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates as well as weekly blogs check out https : // katiemarie21 . wordpress . com 

I wrote a Book. A big one and a couple of little ones. Check them out here https : // katiemarie21 . wordpress . com / shop /

My first Novel, Grey Wings has now been released!

GREY WINGS

Jason is stranded in a dark city, and is in desperate need of help when he has no idea how he will get home.

So, when he collides with Aurelius, an Angel only in the mildest sense of the word – who has committed a crime worthy of great punishment, but has been handed a rare chance at redemption – Jason can see a way home.

However, their journey will be hampered by Fallen Angels, Earth Spirits, and Griffons – and none can say if everyone will make it home.


End file.
